Cigarettes
Cigarettes’ cellulose acetate filters are 100% nonbiodegradable, and yet 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are tossed each year worldwide. Although the paper and tobacco of the butt are biodegradable, the filter, which “contains numerous chemicals which may be considered health hazards” does not break down. Cigarette butts are thrown everywhere. If you are walking down the street you are bound to find at least one cast aside cigarette butt.
But what happens to these butts? Well, some of them get washed into our drains and then are moved to the lakes and seas. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Marine Conservation found that “for the past 8 years, cigarette butts have been the leading item found during the (CMC’s) International Coastal Cleanup Project.”
Also, cigarette butts in ashtrays can be harmful to children. If ingested they can cause vomiting, gagging, and lethargy.
Cigarettes are also not environmentally friendly to produce. Companies clear huge amounts of forest in order to grow tobacco. Because of this deforestation, some areas have nowed turned virtually into a desert. Most of this tobacco farming takes place in developing countries. Also, massive amounts of fuel is used in order to dry out the tobacco leaf. It is estimated that about 600 million trees are cut down in order to provide fuel to dry out the tobacco leaves.
Some companies are claiming to “go green” by organically producing their tobacco. Even though they are not using any harmful chemicals to grow the tobacco, they are still cutting down forests for land to farm and using the trees as fuel. This does not seem very “green” to me.
Cigarettes are also responsible for 900 fire-related deaths each year. Not only do they kill people, but they also destroy the environment. If started in a forest, the fire destroys tons of animals and vegetation. After the fire, many animals are left without a home and have no where to go. The fire caused by cigarettes releases an unnecessary amount of CO2 into the air, something that could have been avoided if the cigarette was properly disposed of.
Overall, not only are cigarettes bad for the body, they are also horrific to the environment as well. Although it will be hard to ban smoking altogether, the government can begin to discourage it by adding higher taxes and banning it in all public places in the country.
AP Archives
http://web.vtc.edu/mt/102/Projects/ElectronicNotebooks/SectionA/ JoshCross/cig4_1.html
While the cigarette butts may not be environmentally friendly, what really caught my attention was when you brought the government into the equation. It would not only be impossible for the government to ban smoking all together, but also impracticle. The government is very keen on raising the taxes. Since 2001, 44 states have increased the tax on cigarettes. And federal excise taxes on cigarettes are constantly being proposed. The fact of the matter is, smokers arent going to stop because taxes go up. The government actually makes a killing on the sale of cigarettes. They make $2.22 or half the price of the pack on each pack sold, based on the average price per pack of cigarettes. That is seven times the amount made by the manufacturer.
Based on these facts, it is obvious that the sale of cigarettes is vital to the American government and economy so it would be nearly impossible to eliminate the sake of cigarettes. However, it may be smart for the companies to come up with a biodegradable filter.
http://www.rjrt.com/legal/taxRevenue.asp
shut up morgan