Pollution from Tobacco

Burning tobacco is the main source of indoor pollution in the developed world. Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals including carcinogens, irritants and toxic gases. The health impact of breathing environmental tobacco smoke is well documented. See Fact sheet no 8, Passive smoking or the more detailed Passive smoking brief for further information.

A US study highlighted the damage discarded cigarette ends cause to the marine environment. One living organism tested to determine the level of chemical in the environment was the planktonic animal Daphinia magna (Water Flea). The study revealed that chemicals in cigarette butts are highly toxic to water fleas at concentrations above 0.125 cigarette butts per litre of water.

The International Costal Clean up Day’s 2003 worldwide beach, river and streams clean-up found cigarette litter to be the major source of debris, accounting for 29.5 percent of all items found and numbering 1.922 million.

In a survey conducted by Keep Britain Tidy in 2002, cigarette-related litter was found in 77 per cent of all locations across Britain. As part of its reclaim the streets campaign, The Daily Mirror found that cigarette ends, packets and matches were the most commonly found items of rubbish, with 122 tonnes of cigarette related rubbish being dropped every day across the UK. http://old.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact22.html?

More than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of the effects of passive smoking.

Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for low birth weight. One study has also shown that babies exposed to their mother’s tobacco smoke before they are born grow up with reduced lung function Parental smoking is also a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (cot death).

Principal health effects of passive smoke
Breathing other people's smoke is called passive, involuntary or second‑hand smoking. The non-smoker breathes "sidestream" smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette and "mainstream" smoke that has been inhaled and then exhaled by the smoker. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major source of indoor air pollution. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals, some of which have marked irritant properties and some 60 are known or suspected carcinogens (cancer causing substances)

The California EPA identified passive smoking as a risk factor for the following:

Childbirth and infancy
· Low birthweight
· Cot death (SIDS)
Illnesses in children
· Middle ear infection
· Asthma (induction & exacerbation)
· Bronchitis (induction & exacerbation)
· Pneumonia (induction & exacerbation)
Illnesses in adults
· Heart disease
· Stroke
· Lung cancer
· Nasal cancer
The California EPA report also identified a link between passive smoking and the following:
· Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
· Adverse impact on learning and behavioural development in children
· Meningococcal infections in children
· Cancers and leukaemia in children
· Asthma exacerbation in adults
· Exacerbation of cystic fibrosis
· Decreased lung function
· Cervical cancer
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/passive/html/passive.html