From ancient times, Tobacco has been growing as an agricultural crop in the various parts of earth.
It has been the most widely grown plant of Nicotiana species which is a gender of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family (family of flowering plants.) Many plants of nightshade family contain , a powerful neurotoxin that is particularly harmful to insects and its addiction is harmful to humans.
However, tobaccos contain a higher concentration of nicotine than most other plants. Tobacco is commercially produced and processed for cigarettes, biddi and other products which are chewed and smoked in every part of the world. Since 6000 BC tobacco was grown at a very wide scale on American continents until the mass production shifted to Asian countries in 1960s.
Tobacco production and consumption had been causing a huge damage to the environment in direct or indirect ways. I would like to draw your attention to some of the facts and events happening around us.
With the increase in production of tobacco in the Asian countries, the usage of insecticides and pesticides has shot up.
Resulting into infertile soil, soil erosion etc. Ironically the production of tobacco increased from before as the industry generates a huge profit to respective countries. Therefore, its production is encouraged and forests are raped for the plantation. And the land which has been used by tobacco plants affects the adjacent farm lands as well.
To procure these harmful tobacco leaves mass deforestation takes place.
Tobacco plants need huge water supply and then these water supplies are further depleted by the tobacco industry recommending the planting of quick growing, but water-thirsty eucalyptus trees.
In
The Tobacco Atlas; Costs to the Economy (last accessed July 2, 2008), the WHO noted the impact of fires caused by smoking (10% of all fire deaths, killing 300,000 people, costing $27 billion). It also noted that 1987 the world’s worst forest fire in China was caused by cigarettes killing 300 people, leaving 5,000 homeless, and destroying 1.3 million hectares of land.
There are more indirect effects on the environment such as: ingredients like fuel and plastics used in cigarette lighters cause environmental damage, packaging of cigarettes causes mass deforestation etc.
Social damage:
In the countries like China, Brazil and India, tobacco industry gives way to child labor.
A huge school going child population works in making cigarettes, biddi and other tobacco products. A study in 1993, showed 78% of kids aged 10-14 and 55% of kids aged 7-9 worked full or part time in tobacco industries. Most of these kids have never seen school and about 90% do not go to school, in the foreign countries. In Brazil 750,000 workers are needed to bring the tobacco crop to the market and 520,000 of these people are 18 and under, while 32% are under the age of 14.
Tobacco promotes substance abuse in children. It is proven by facts that 90% of the people indulge in smoking in the adolescent age while they are in school.
Tobacco industry gives employment to thousands of children and women. For most of them it is the only source of earning bread and butter. As the consequence of their complete dependency on the tobacco industry their rights are often neglected and dishonored.
They are forced to face exploitation at the hands of the tobacco industry.
Hence, it increases the risk of women and child abuse perenniously.
Health damages:
IN all tobacco made products cigarettes are most commonly smoked. Well if any of the readers smoke a lot please look at the harmful chemicals present in it:
A chemical used to preserve dead bodies: FORMALDEHYDE
A chemical used in pest control- ARSENIC / D.D.T
Nuclear waste a radioactive agent- POLONIUM 210
A chemical used to make plastic-vinyl chloride
A chemical with pungent odor used in fertilizers & as a cleaning agent- AMMONIA
By just seeing the names of the chemicals present we can estimate the danger cigarette causes to human life. Similarly, there are many harmful chemical present in other tobacco products also.
The list of diseases caused by tobacco now includes cancers of the kidneys, stomach, cervix, and pancreas as well as leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia, and gum disease. These illnesses are in addition to diseases previously known to be caused by smoking— bladder, esophageal, laryngeal, lung, oral, and throat cancers, chronic lung diseases, coronary heart and cardiovascular diseases, and sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking also reduces overall health, contributing to conditions such as hip fractures, complications from diabetes, increased wound infections following surgery, and various reproductive problems.
Smoking cigarettes with lower machine–measured yields of tar and nicotine does not help.
An estimated 200,000 workers die every year due to exposure to smoke at work; The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that second-hand smoke is responsible for about 3000 lung cancer deaths annually among non-smokers in the country.
Analysis: By illustrating the above facts our motive is only to let people know that tobacco is only a harmful product. It harms environment, society and above all people’s health. In no way it can be useful to us. A famous U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona commented “There is no safe cigarette, whether it is called ‘light,’ ‘ultra–light,’ or any other name. “The science is clear: the only way to avoid the health hazards of smoking is to quit completely or to never start smoking.
Source: tobacco -global issues, wikipedia, FCTC reports, WHO Analysis.
