The Little Big Lie
The tobacco industry’s plastic pollution is destroying our planet
Microplastics are small but their impact is huge11
Microplastics are bits of synthetic material measuring 5 mm or less – about the size of a sesame seed.12 They’re too small to clean up – and they’re everywhere. The tobacco industry produces13 an estimated 6 trillion filtered cigarettes a year,14 making them a top contributor to a global plastic crisis.15
[Cigarette] filters are the deadliest fraud in the history of human civilization. They are put on cigarettes to save on the cost of tobacco and to fool people. They don’t filter at all. In the US, 400,000 people a year die from cigarettes – and those cigarettes almost all have filters.
Big Tobacco’s deadly scam
As Big Tobacco began to realize filters didn’t reduce harm – but made their cigarettes easier to smoke27 – they doubled down on their harm reduction scam. In the 1950s, a chemist from R.J. Reynolds named Claude Teague developed the “Teague Filter” that turned filters from white to brown.28 The change in color fooled people into believing the filters protected their lungs from the toxic chemicals in cigarettes.29
Truth is, no matter what color they turn, filters don’t actually filter out toxic chemicals30 and have even been linked to a specific type of lung cancer.3132 It’s more lies from an industry that pretends to care about harm reduction.33
Greenwashing: Big Tobacco flat-out lied about their products harming the environment
Big Tobacco deliberately dodges environmental regulations
The dangers
I feel like cigarettes and other bigger companies who sell into our communities, they don’t care. They just want to make money. They don’t want to see or hear about any responsibility of what they’re doing to the community or to the environment. Hit them where it hurts. Hit them in the wallets, and then they’ll have to listen, take responsibility for what they’re doing.
In the news
Hold them accountable
Express your outrage about the damage caused by the tobacco industry. You can make a difference by raising your voice.
- Wang Y-L, Lee Y-H, Chiu I-J, Lin Y-F, Chiu H-W. Potent Impact of Plastic Nanomaterials and Micromaterials on the Food Chain and Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020;21(5):1727. doi:10.3390/ijms21051727
- Ziv-Gal A, Flaws JA. Evidence for bisphenol A-induced female infertility: a review (2007-2016). Fertil Steril. 2016;106(4):827-856. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.027
- Campanale C, Massarelli C, Savino I, Locaputo V, Uricchio VF. A Detailed Review Study on Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(4):1212. Published 2020 Feb 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph17041212
- Harris B. The intractable cigarette 'filter problem'. Tob Control. 2011;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i10-i16. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040113
- Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165
- Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
- Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
- Oliveri Conti G, Ferrante M, Banni M, et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environ Res. 2020;187:109677. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677
- Poma A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, et al. In Vitro Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles on the Human Fibroblast Hs27 Cell Line. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(9):1299. Published 2019 Sep 11. doi:10.3390/nano9091299
- Wang Y-L, Lee Y-H, Chiu I-J, Lin Y-F, Chiu H-W. Potent Impact of Plastic Nanomaterials and Micromaterials on the Food Chain and Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020;21(5):1727. doi:10.3390/ijms21051727
- Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. We Clean On, 2021 report. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2021.
- National Ocean Service. What are microplastics? oceanservice.noaa.gov. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html. Updated February 26, 2021. Accessed March 28, 2022.
- Zafeiridou M, Hopkinson NS, Voulvoulis N. Cigarette Smoking: An Assessment of Tobacco’s Global Environmental Footprint Across Its Entire Supply Chain. Environmental Science & Technology. 2018;52(15):8087-8094. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b01533
- Novotny TE, Slaughter E. Tobacco Product Waste: An Environmental Approach to Reduce Tobacco Consumption. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2014;1(3):208-216. Published 2014 May 6. doi:10.1007/s40572-014-0016-x
- Break Free From Plastic. Branded Vol. III: Demanding corporate accountability for plastic pollution. 2020.
- Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165
- Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
- Smith EA, Novotny TE. Whose butt is it? tobacco industry research about smokers and cigarette butt waste. Tob Control. 2011;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i2–i9. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040105
- DUNN,WL; JOHNSON,ME JR. MARKET POTENTIAL OF A HEALTH CIGARETTE SPECIAL REPORT NO. 248. 1966 June. Philip Morris Records; Master Settlement Agreement. Unknown. https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/kgkp0124
- Tobacco Product Waste In California: A White Paper, draft from February 2022
- Harris B. The intractable cigarette 'filter problem'. Tob Control. 2011;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i10-i16. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040113
- Harris B. The intractable cigarette “filter problem.” Tobacco Control. 2011;20(Supplement 1):i10-i16. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040113
- Pauly JL, Mepani AB, Lesses JD, Cummings KM, Streck RJ. Cigarettes with defective filters marketed for 40 years: what Philip Morris never told smokers. Tobacco Control. 2002;11 Suppl 1:I51-61. doi:10.1136/tc.11.suppl_1.i51
- Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
- Tobacco Product Waste In California: A White Paper, draft from February 2022
- TEAGUE,CLAUDE E. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION. FILTER TIP MATERIALS UNDERGOING COLOR CHANGE ON CONTACT WITH TOBACCO SMOKE. Philip Morris Records; Master Settlement Agreement. https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/lgkj0191 1953 December 17; 2012 August 29.
- Kozlowski LT, O’Connor RJ. Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents. Tob Control. 2002;11 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):I40-I50. doi:10.1136/tc.11.suppl_1.i40
- Kennedy P. Who Made That Cigarette Filter? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/magazine/who-made-that-cigarette-filter.html#:~:text=In%20the%201950s%2C%20an%20RJ. Published July 6, 2012. Accessed March 24, 2022.
- Harris B. The intractable cigarette 'filter problem'. Tob Control. 2011;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i10-i16. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040113
- Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta. 2014
- Song M-A, Benowitz NL, Berman M, et al. Cigarette Filter Ventilation and its Relationship to Increasing Rates of Lung Adenocarcinoma. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2017;109(12). doi:10.1093/jnci/djx075
- Dewhirst T. Co-optation of harm reduction by Big Tobacco. Tob Control. 2021;30(e1):e1-e3. doi:10.1136/TOBACCOCONTROL-2020-056059
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- Stigler-Granados P, Fulton L, Nunez Patlan E, Terzyk M, Novotny TE. Global Health Perspectives on Cigarette Butts and the Environment. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(10):1858. Published 2019 May 26. doi:10.3390/ijerph16101858
- Smith EA, McDaniel PA. Covering their Butts: Responses to the Cigarette Litter Problem. Tob Control. 2011;20(2):100. doi:10.1136/TC.2010.036491
- Smith EA, Novotny TE. Whose butt is it? tobacco industry research about smokers and cigarette butt waste. Tob Control. 2011;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i2-i9. doi:10.1136/tc.2010.040105
- Break Free From Plastic. Branded Vol. III: Demanding corporate accountability for plastic pollution. 2020.
- Choy CA, Robison BH, Gagne TO et al. The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Sci Rep. 2019;9:7843. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44117-2
- Prata JC. Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health?. Environ Pollut. 2018;234:115-126. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043
- Zafeiridou M, Hopkinson NS, Voulvoulis N. Cigarette Smoking: An Assessment of Tobacco’s Global Environmental Footprint Across Its Entire Supply Chain. Environmental Science & Technology. 2018;52(15):8087-8094. doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b01533
- Novotny TE, Slaughter E. Tobacco Product Waste: An Environmental Approach to Reduce Tobacco Consumption. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2014;1(3):208-216. Published 2014 May 6. doi:10.1007/s40572-014-0016-x
- Hendlin YH. E-cigarettes and a new threat: How to dispose of them [blog]. The Conversation. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/e-cigarettes-and-new-threat-how-dispose-them. Published October 23, 2018. Accessed July 7, 2020.
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- Hendlin YH. E-cigarettes and a new threat: How to dispose of them [blog]. The Conversation. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/e-cigarettes-and-new-threat-how-dispose-them. Published October 23, 2018. Accessed July 7, 2020.
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- Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. We Clean On, 2021 report. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2021.
- Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. We Clean On, 2021 report. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2021.
- Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup. We Clean On, 2021 report. Washington, DC: Ocean Conservatory, International Coastal Cleanup; 2021.
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- Poma A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, et al. In Vitro Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles on the Human Fibroblast Hs27 Cell Line. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(9):1299. Published 2019 Sep 11. doi:10.3390/nano9091299
- Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165
- Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
- World Health Organization. Microplastics in drinking-water. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.
- Oliveri Conti G, Ferrante M, Banni M, et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environ Res. 2020;187:109677. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677
- Rochman CM, Tahir A, Williams SL, et al. Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption. Sci Rep. 2015;5:14340. doi:10.1038/srep14340
- Rochman CM, Tahir A, Williams SL, et al. Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption. Sci Rep. 2015;5:14340. doi:10.1038/srep14340
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- Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool: A Prospective Case Series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(7):453-457. doi:10.7326/M19-0618
- Poma A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, et al. In Vitro Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles on the Human Fibroblast Hs27 Cell Line. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(9):1299. Published 2019 Sep 11. doi:10.3390/nano9091299
- Ziv-Gal A, Flaws JA. Evidence for bisphenol A-induced female infertility: a review (2007-2016). Fertil Steril. 2016;106(4):827-856. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.027
- Campanale C, Massarelli C, Savino I, Locaputo V, Uricchio VF. A Detailed Review Study on Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(4):1212. Published 2020 Feb 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph17041212
- Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
- Hwang J, Choi D, Han S, Jung SY, Choi J, Hong J. Potential toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):7391. Published 2020 Apr 30. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64464-9
- Proctor RN. Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2011.
- Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165.
- Prata JC. Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health?. Environ Pollut. 2018;234:115-126. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043
- Choy CA, Robison BH, Gagne TO et al. The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Sci Rep. 2019;9:7843. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44117-2
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- Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
- Schwabl P, Köppel S, Königshofer P, et al. Detection of Various Microplastics in Human Stool: A Prospective Case Series. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(7):453-457. doi:10.7326/M19-0618
- Poma A, Vecchiotti G, Colafarina S, et al. In Vitro Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoparticles on the Human Fibroblast Hs27 Cell Line. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(9):1299. Published 2019 Sep 11. doi:10.3390/nano9091299
- Ziv-Gal A, Flaws JA. Evidence for bisphenol A-induced female infertility: a review (2007-2016). Fertil Steril. 2016;106(4):827-856. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.06.027
- Campanale C, Massarelli C, Savino I, Locaputo V, Uricchio VF. A Detailed Review Study on Potential Effects of Microplastics and Additives of Concern on Human Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(4):1212. Published 2020 Feb 13. doi:10.3390/ijerph17041212
- Hwang J, Choi D, Han S, Jung SY, Choi J, Hong J. Potential toxicity of polystyrene microplastic particles. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):7391. Published 2020 Apr 30. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64464-9
- Hendlin YH. E-cigarettes and a new threat: How to dispose of them [blog]. The Conversation. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/e-cigarettes-and-new-threat-how-dispose-them. Published October 23, 2018. Accessed July 7, 2020.
- Environmental Protection Agency (1980). CFR §261.33 Discarded commercial chemical products, off-specification species, container residues, and spill residues thereof. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title40-vol27/pdf/CFR-2012-title40-vol27-sec261-33.pdf.
- Berg CJ, Schleicher NC, Johnson TO, Barker DC, Getachew B, Weber A, et al. Vape shop identification, density and place characteristics in six metropolitan areas across the US. Prev Med Rep. 2020 Sep 1;19:101137.
- Belzagui F, Buscio V, Gutiérrez-Bouzán C, Vilaseca M. Cigarette butts as a microfiber source with a microplastic level of concern. Science of The Total Environment. 2021;762:144165. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144165
- Rochman CM, Tahir A, Williams SL, et al. Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption. Sci Rep. 2015;5:14340. doi:10.1038/srep14340
- Oliveri Conti G, Ferrante M, Banni M, et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environ Res. 2020;187:109677. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677
- Choy CA, Robison BH, Gagne TO et al. The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Sci Rep. 2019;9:7843. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44117-2
- Prata JC. Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health?. Environ Pollut. 2018;234:115-126. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043
- Zarus GM, Muianga C, Hunter CM, Pappas RS. A review of data for quantifying human exposures to micro and nanoplastics and potential health risks. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:144010. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144010
- World Health Organization. Tobacco and its environmental impact: an overview. Geneva: World Health Organization;2017.
- Novotny TE, Slaughter E. Tobacco Product Waste: An Environmental Approach to Reduce Tobacco Consumption. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2014;1(3):208-216. Published 2014 May 6. doi:10.1007/s40572-014-0016-x
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