Understand the Environmental Impact of Cigarettes Before You Take Another Puff

Let’s clear the air: quitting smoking isn’t just good for your health; it’s also good for the health of the planet.

It’s not something you often think about, but to manufacture and distribute cigarettes takes a toll on the environment and may lead to irreparable damage to the planet’s ecosystem. Nearly 600 million trees are chopped down annually in order to grow and process tobacco. This dramatic process of deforestation triggers a number of adverse effects, including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and degradation, and water pollution. And have you ever asked yourself what happens to all those cigarette butts strewn along the sidewalk? Turns out they’re the most littered item in the world, with nearly 4.5 trillion tossed away annually.

And it’s not only the great outdoors that’s affected by cigarettes, smoking inside your home damages the walls, furniture, and carpet, while putting the home’s inhabitants at risk. The remedy: bring fresh air into your home to cycle out the smoke. Fresh air makes it easier for you and everyone in your home to breathe. Try throwing out old clothes or items that smell of smoke. Removing the lingering smell of tobacco smoke may also help eliminate a smoking trigger and reduce your cigarette cravings.

Quitting smoking now greatly reduces your impact on your carbon footprint. This Monday, consider how smoking affects the air in the natural world and your home. Let the fresh air in and refresh your commitment to quit.