JOURNAL #8-SMOKING HAZARDS

FACT #8: In an hour cigarette-manufacturing unit requires almost 4 miles of paper for rolling and packaging of the cigarettes. Just to produce 300 cigarettes one tree is being wasted. Energy and water is also being wasted for the production of the cigarettes as well as the chemical wastes from the manufacturing unit is also dumped into the soil. Hence it is clear the cigarettes are in total adding huge strain on the body and environment. With the use of more advance technology tobacco industry can help in decreasing the strain from the environment. But just to save billions of dollar profit/year the industry is not willing to go for the advanced technology. The best and the easiest way to control this environmental destruction, is to stop buying this harmful product.

Lately, I have been noticing an extreme amount of cigarette butts on the ground of our beautiful and "environmentally sustainable" university, so I thought I'd do some research on the harmful affects of cigarette butts and smoke to our environment.

Many people say that smoking is their choice, just as one chooses to be overweight, they too can choose to pollute their lungs. That being said, I think it is important to learn the facts about the harmful affect smoking has on our planet and on non-smokers.

How Smoking Causes Air Pollution? (smoking environment pollution)
It is quite evident that smoking causes air pollution and to some extent also pollutes the ground. Approximately 4000 chemicals are present in cigarettes, which are breathed out and released in the atmosphere. Out of the total North American population 30% of them are smokers and the percentage of the smoking population in developing countries is much higher. This indicates that an enormous quantity of pollution is being released in the atmosphere every day.

How Smoking Causes Land and Water Pollution? (smoking environment damage)
Pollution caused due to smoking is not confined only to the air or body but to some extent it is also responsible in polluting the land and the water. Every day millions of cigarette butts are left on the ground. Maximum of the cigarette butts finally end up in lakes and rivers. By mistake fishes and other water animals eat these butts resulting in death of these water bodies. The remaining butts left on the ground will approximately take 25-26 years to decompose. The various additives and chemicals are leached into the soil, polluting the soil as well as plants. During dry seasons cigarette butts can even cause major fire, which is even harmful for the environment.

How Cigarette Production Affects Environment? (effects of smoking environment)
Effects of smoking environment: Major impact on the environment is due the production of the cigarettes. The land, which is used for the cultivation of tobacco plants, could be better used for producing food for the third world countries. Moreover as the tobacco plant is highly susceptible to pests and disease so to maintain their proper growth and health various chemicals and pesticides are being sprayed. For the production and packaging of the cigarette requires a lot of trees. [source:ygoy.com]

We often discuss the issues of environmental sustainability and I believe that cigarettes are leaders in ignorance towards sustainability. Though smokers are here today and will eventually die, it will take 500+ years for the cigarette butts they leave on the ground to disintegrate, and even then, our ozone will be further polluted.

I understand that we live in a free country and people feel that they should be able to make choices for themselves and should be able to experience freedom, however, I take my health very seriously and I don't feel as though I should have to suffer from the choices my freedom seeking American neighbors make.

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