Cigarette filters do nothing for health and create plastic pollution – ban them
13 days ago
- #tobacco industry
- #public health
- #plastic pollution
- Cigarette filters were introduced in the 1950s as a PR move, not for health benefits.
- Filters do not reduce harm; they may increase lung cancer risk by enabling deeper inhalation.
- Early filters even contained asbestos, yet many smokers still believe filters are safer.
- Cigarette filters are made of non-biodegradable plastic (cellulose acetate), contributing to microplastic pollution.
- Cigarette butts are the most littered item globally, with 4.5 trillion discarded yearly (800,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste).
- Tobacco companies promote 'biodegradable' filters, but these still pollute and offer no health benefits.
- Filters sustain the false perception of reduced harm, contradicting WHO guidelines.
- Banning filters could reduce smoking rates (unfiltered cigarettes are harsher) and cut plastic pollution significantly.
- Santa Cruz, California, has already voted to ban cigarette filters starting in 2024.
- The UN plastic pollution treaty could mandate a global filter ban if listed in Annex Y (full prohibition).
- Health and environmental groups advocate for a total filter ban to align public health and environmental goals.