The American Thoracic Society and international partners are urging countries to regulate tobacco product waste that contributes to plastic pollution and lung disease.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Environmental Degradation: Cigarette filters are a major source of plastic waste that leaches toxic substances and creates microplastic contamination in soil and water.
- Increased Health Risks: Contrary to consumer perception, filters provide no harm reduction and may increase the risk of lung adenocarcinoma by encouraging deeper smoke inhalation.
- Policy Recommendations: Respiratory experts are calling for a global ban on cigarette filters and single-use electronic nicotine delivery systems to reduce the environmental and healthcare burden.
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) are calling for countries to implement global tobacco control measures to address the environmental and healthcare impacts of tobacco product waste, according to the organizations.
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the ATS and FIRS reiterated the need for nations to implement decisions made at the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. These decisions encourage countries to consider regulatory options for tobacco and nicotine product components that increase environmental harms.
In a statement following COP11, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) underlined that cigarette filters are a primary concern, as they degrade the environment through waste, pollution, and emissions. Filters are among the most littered plastic items in the world and accumulate in the environment over time due to slow degradation.
As filters fragment, they cause microplastic contamination of soil and water. They can also leach toxic substances, such as nicotine, into surrounding environments. According to the ERS, there is no evidence these items can be safely recycled.
In addition to environmental damage, filters may increase the risk of lung adenocarcinoma. While consumers often perceive filtered cigarettes as “safer,” the ERS stated that filters provide no harm reduction and may encourage deeper inhalation of smoke into peripheral lung tissue.
“Beyond their direct health effects, tobacco and nicotine products also degrade the environment through waste, pollution and emissions – which compounds the burden on lung health that groups such as ERS’s Tobacco Control, and Environment and Health Committees jointly work to address,” said Filippos Filippidis, MD, PhD, associate professor in public health at Imperial College London and ERS tobacco control committee chair, in a news release.
Filippidis further noted that phasing out and prohibiting cigarette filters, along with single-use electronic nicotine delivery systems, is the only way to eliminate the environmental burden these products pose.
The ERS also noted that filters are designed to improve the appeal of cigarettes. Reducing this appeal through a ban could reduce smoking uptake among younger groups. Furthermore, the news release indicated that efforts to recycle or clean up filters through Extended Producer Responsibility programs may promote “greenwashing” narratives that undermine marketing bans and industry accountability.
