For the first time in its 35 year history, the theme for World No Tobacco Day addresses the environmental consequences of tobacco use. "Throughout its lifecycle, tobacco pollutes the planet and damages the health of all people," WHO's campaign reminds us.
This post provides links to some useful resources to help Canadians observe this important occasion - and some updates on measures governments are taking that will reduce pollution from tobacco industry products.
#1. UNDO (California Tobacco Control Program)
The California government's Tobacco Control Program is renowned for its hard-hitting public messaging and its effective use of denormalization campaigns to reduce smoking.
This year it is drawing public attention to both environmental and human health damage caused by the industry. Their core message? "The Tobacco industry is destroying the people and places we love. And they spend billions to convince us it's normal."
You don't have to live in California to benefit from the resources produced for this campaign:
- The UNDO.ORG web-site is one-stop shopping for reader-friendly explanations about the environmental impact of tobacco and vaping products.
- Their YouTube channel has six short videos (in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese).
- The program models how governments can mobilize citizens to take action.
- The Undotobacco Facebook page models how to integrate environmental messaging with outreach to support smokers' quitting
#2. Talking Trash (STOP & WHO)
The University of Bath's STOP and the World Health Organization have collaborated to share their analysis of the tobacco industry's public relations efforts to present themselves as meeting ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) objectives.
"Talking Trash: Behind the Tobacco Industry's Green Public Relations" traces some of the steps taken by these companies to present themselves as responsible stewards of the environment, and how it perverts the notion of sustainability.
These tactics are familiar to Canadians. Philip Morris International's Canadian subsidiary, for example, uses its #unsmoke tree-planting and cleanup campaigns to greenwash its presence.
The solution, say WHO and STOP, is for governments to ban such activities "as they are
a central part of the industry’s so-called CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] and
marketing campaigns, aimed at industry renormalization,
which tends to circumvent Article 5.3. Parties are obliged
to end industry CSR under the WHO FCTC, so unlike
other industries, there is a mechanism in place to help
governments prevent tobacco industry greenwashing."
They also have a message for civil society organizations -- calling on them "to
reject partnerships on environmental activities with the
tobacco industry that could be used to help the industry
portray itself as an environmental ally."
This project is also spreading the word through the international media. Last week the Guardian published their column Big Tobacco is killing the planet with plastics. No smokescreen should be allowed to hide that.
#3. Research summaries
Five years has passed since the World Health Organization published a comprehensive review of the environmental impact of tobacco products, and this document remains a key resource on this topic. In addition to documenting widespread harms, the report offers a range of options for governments and communities to address these problems.
Public Health Ontario has also produced a valuable summary of research on the effectiveness of strategies and policies aimed at reducing environmental impact. Its knowledge synthesis report Smoke Free Series: Post-Consumer Waste is linked here.
#4. Tips on dealing with E-waste
E-cigarettes and e-liquid containers are considered acute hazardous waste by U.S. environmental regulators, although not yet designated in this way in Canada. The nicotine in discarded containers is a potential source of poisoning (to humans and other living beings), and the batteries, if not properly disposed of, can also release harmful chemicals. Safe disposal is a particular concern for schools and other places where these products are discarded (or confiscated).
Guidance offered for U.S. schools and communities provide a model for resources that could be developed for use by Canadians.
#5. Innovative public policies
Governments world-wide are exploring new ways to address cigarette and tobacco product waste:
- California's legislature is considering legislation to ban single-use vaping products and tobacco filters (AB 1690)
- The Catalan government (in Spain) is considering requiring smokers to pay a 4 euro deposit with each package of cigarettes, reimbursable when they return the filters to a recycling centre.
- San Francisco imposes a Cigarette Litter Abatement Fee on each package of cigarettes -- now set at USD 1.05 per pack.
- The European Union is planning to amend its directive on batteries, and has floated the idea of eliminating the use of portable non-rechargeable batteries. If adopted, this could end the sale of disposable vaping devices.
