FIRS partners address tobacco industry for World No Tobacco Day

On World No Tobacco Day (May 31, 2022), the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member, is voicing concerns over the tobacco industry’s impact on environmental health and, ultimately, lung health.

The impact of tobacco production has been emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme: #TobaccoExposed. The WHO notes that 600,000,000 trees are chopped down to make cigarettes, 84,000,000 tons of CO₂ emissions are released into the air, which raises global temperatures and 22,000,000,000 litres of water are used each year to make cigarettes. These are significant examples of the burden tobacco production places on environmental resources.

Manufacturing processes of tobacco are only one part of the issue, with distribution, consumption and post-consumption waste increasing the threat to the environment.

According to Prof. Jonathan Grigg, Chair of the European Respiratory Society’s Tobacco Control Committee:

“Tobacco kills more than 8 million people per year. It harms the environment in countless ways, but we see time and time again the tobacco industry trying to mislead or distort the significant threat their industry presents to our environment. It is very important that they are held accountable and that the realities of their business are not disguised by tactics developed to show them in a better light.”

Alongside a call for the tobacco industry to be held accountable for its role in harming the environment, FIRS urges everyone to stay well informed about tobacco industry practices. FIRS supports the message that we should all strive to be greener and to stop smoking—and help others to stop smoking—to improve our health and the health of our planet.