Dr Gade Waqa
While the health effects of cigarette smoking are well documented, the environmental impacts of tobacco are less appreciated and often overlooked. The annual World No Tobacco Day campaign, is an opportunity for the Fiji National University (FNU) to raise awareness of the environmental impact of tobacco – from cultivation, production, distribution, and waste.
It ranges from the use of scarce arable land and water for tobacco cultivation, use of harmful chemicals on tobacco farms, deforestation, and carbon emissions from manufacture and distribution processes to the production of toxic waste and nonbiodegradable litter. An online statement from the WHO webpage confirmed that with an annual greenhouse gas contribution of 84 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the tobacco industry contributes to climate change and reduces climate resilience, wasting resources and damaging ecosystems. Throughout its life cycle, tobacco pollutes the planet and damages the health of all people.
This year’s celebration points to the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and what we can do to claim our right to health and healthy living and protect future generations. As the national institution, FNU is proud to have one of the first smoke-free campuses in the country, and this shows our commitment to the health and well-being of all our students, staff, and visitors. FNU is deeply committed to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and developing cost-effective, scalable solutions aimed at sustainability, resilience and climate change adaptation, in support of the objectives outlined in Fiji’s Climate Change Bill. We embraced the need for systems change that has placed environmental sustainability as an all-encompassing theme of its Strategic Plan 2021–2026.
Researchers have confirmed that while some tobacco companies produce sustainability reports and life cycle assessments, the assumptions and the methodologies used in these studies are not always transparent and often partially reported. Further, some tobacco companies have included reducing the number of cigarette butts in the environment as part of their sustainability goal. Approximately 3.5 million hectares of land are destroyed each year for growing tobacco. Researchers have confirmed that deforestation for tobacco plantations promotes soil degradation and “failing yields” or the capacity for the land to support the growth of any other crops or vegetation. The entire life cycle of a single cigarette requires approximately 3.7 litres of water, and this includes the growing, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
About 90% of all tobacco production are concentrated in the developing world, tobacco has an immensely uneven impact on different socioeconomic groups. In low and middle-income countries, many farmers and government officials see tobacco as a cash crop that can generate economic growth. However, the short-term cash benefits of the crop are offset by the long-term consequences of increased food insecurity, frequent sustained farmers’ debt, illness and poverty among farmworkers, and widespread environmental damage in low- and middle-income countries. It takes a cigarette butt approximately ten years to decompose, allowing time for nicotine and chemicals to leach into surrounding ecosystems.
In 2020, it was estimated that 243 million sticks of cigarettes were produced in Fiji. It is estimated that 810,000 trees were lost, and nearly 900 million litres of water were used just for cigarette production in Fiji. Tobacco farmers could switch to sustainable and environmentally friendly crops providing a greater return on investment in terms of health and wealth. Reducing tobacco consumption also assists in achieving SDG3, which states ensure healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages. Reducing tobacco usage will reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) estimated by one third by 2030.
We need evidence for policymakers to strengthen policies and legislation that could make tobacco producers accountable for tobacco product waste on environmental and economic costs. Creating awareness of the environmental impact of tobacco reduction of chemicals used in tobacco plantations is key to reducing the carbon footprint.