- Smoking
- Plastic
- Pollution
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
- Animal hunting
- Garbage
- Global warming
- Endangered species
- Ozone layer
- Climate change
- Ultraviolet radiation
- Our population
- Viruses
- Ground movement
- Deforestation
- Volcano eruption
- Earthquake
- Fire
- Flud
- Tsunami
- Tornado
- Sweet water shortage
- Water level change
Serious Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Environment and Human Health
Cigarette smoking causes environmental pollution by releasing toxic air pollutants into the atmosphere. The cigarette butts also litter the environment, and the toxic chemicals in the residues seep into soils and waterways, thereby causing soil and water pollution, respectively.
Interestingly, when people hear about cigarette smoking, they often think of the health risks it has on the human body. Many fail to look at the critical side topic, which pertains to how it harms the environment.
Smoking is one of the leading causes of lung cancer deaths in the world. It suppresses the body’s immune system, thus increasing vulnerability to infections and diseases. Smoking leads to premature death because of the associated health risks, including respiratory cancer and vascular diseases. Smokers’ lives are shortened by at least 10 years compared to nonsmokers. Apart from lung cancer, smoking can also contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis. It narrows blood vessels hence restricting blood circulation to the heart, brain and other critical organs. It also increases the likelihood of blood clotting in the legs and lungs. Altogether, there is a heightened possibility of smokers becoming vulnerable to heart attack and stroke.
Air Pollution Through Smoking
Carbon dioxide, methane and other noxious chemicals are present in second-hand smoke, which causes air pollution through smoking. Although methane and carbon dioxide are not deadly to smokers, the gases do add to the general atmospheric pollution.
Smoking globally emits nearly 2.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide and 5.2 billion kilograms of methane into the atmosphere each year. This provides a clear picture of how smoking alone contributes to climate change. Second-hand smoke, as discussed earlier, also poses indirect health risks such as cancer to other people and animals.
The solution
I think, if the production or distribution of tobacco is limited to the whole world, the harmful effects may be reduced to some extent. Since tobacco itself is poisonous, we can reduce the number of patients only by changing the level of consciousness of people.