Environmental Impacts

Commercial tobacco use hurts human health and the environment. From the production to the sale of commercial tobacco there is a large trail of negative environmental harms from commercial tobacco.

The Connection Between Tobacco and Our Environment

Tobacco is not just harmful to health—it also harms the environment at every stage of its lifecycle. As Tribal Youth Ambassadors, you play a vital role in raising awareness about these impacts and advocating for the protection of our land, water, and air.

How Tobacco Harms the Environment

1. Growing and Farming Tobacco

  • Deforestation: Large areas of forests are cleared to grow tobacco, disrupting ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
  • Soil Degradation: Tobacco farming strips the soil of nutrients, making it less fertile for other crops.
  • Chemical Pollution: Pesticides and fertilizers used in tobacco farming pollute the land and nearby water sources.

2. Manufacturing Tobacco Products

  • Energy Consumption: Cigarette production requires massive amounts of energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Water Usage: Large quantities of water are wasted in tobacco farming and production, impacting water availability for communities.

3. Waste from Tobacco Products

  • Cigarette Butts:
    • Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world.
    • Made of non-biodegradable materials, they can take 10+ years to decompose.
    • Contain toxic chemicals like arsenic and lead that leach into the soil and water.
  • Plastic Waste: Filters and packaging contribute to plastic pollution, harming aquatic life and ecosystems.
  • Vaping Waste: E-cigarettes and vaping devices add to electronic waste, which is difficult to recycle and contains hazardous materials.

4. Air Pollution

  • Tobacco Smoke: Smoking releases harmful chemicals into the air, contributing to indoor and outdoor air pollution.
  • Burning Tobacco Waste: Disposal of tobacco products through burning releases toxins into the atmosphere.

Impact on Tribal Lands and Communities

  • Harming Sacred Spaces: Litter from cigarette butts and tobacco packaging pollutes our sacred lands and waters, disrespecting the environment.
  • Threatening Wildlife: Animals can mistake cigarette butts for food, leading to poisoning and health issues.
  • Polluting Waterways: Rain can wash tobacco waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans, affecting aquatic ecosystems.

Why It Matters to Us

As stewards of the land, we have a responsibility to care for and protect Mother Earth. Tobacco-related pollution goes against our values of respecting the environment and ensuring its health for future generations.

What Can Tribal Youth Do?

1. Raise Awareness

  • Share the environmental impacts of tobacco with your peers and community through social media, events, and presentations.
  • Use visuals, such as images of cigarette butt pollution, to highlight the issue.

2. Organize Clean-Up Campaigns

  • Lead community efforts to clean up cigarette butts and tobacco-related waste in public areas, sacred spaces, and waterways.
  • Encourage others to dispose of tobacco waste responsibly.

3. Advocate for Change

  • Support policies that ban smoking in public spaces to reduce litter.
  • Advocate for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional tobacco packaging and better waste management systems.

4. Promote the Use of Traditional Tobacco

  • Educate the community on the difference between traditional and commercial tobacco.
  • Highlight the sacred use of traditional tobacco, which aligns with respect for the environment and cultural practices.

Did You Know?

  • Over 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide each year.
  • A single cigarette butt can pollute up to 7 liters of water, harming aquatic life.

Tobacco farming destroys 600 million trees annually—trees that could absorb harmful carbon dioxide from the air.


Resource cited: https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/how-tobacco-products-harm-environment-their-manufacture

https://www.who.int/tobacco/publications/environmental-impact-overview/en

https://nau.edu/cher/black-hills-center-for-american-indian-health-collaboration

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