煙草產品廢棄物 對環境造成嚴重浩劫
這是我們都非常清楚的事情:具有操控性、種族主義及貪婪的煙草商,正在破壞我們所愛之人的健康。他們的產品若按照預期使用,將會致命並引發疾病,而且煙草商的產品不僅會損壞使用之人的健康,還會讓所有人都面臨接觸有毒二手煙的風險,進而導致加州每年有數千人致命。1
以下是煙草商不想讓我們知道的事情:他們是全球名列前茅的塑料污染者,其生產和製造直接導致氣候變化及森林砍伐。2 3 在煙草商產品中的有毒化學物質,已被正式歸入「有毒廢棄物」類別,使它們幾乎無法被安全丟棄處理。4 5 6 7 8 9
煙草商每年生產6萬億支香煙。10> 因此,煙蒂在地球上是被隨手亂扔最多的垃圾,11 在加州迄今為止也同樣位居榜首。每個香煙濾嘴都使用15,000根微塑料纖維製成,12 而迄今為止,會污染我們的食物、13 水14 和空氣。15] 正因微塑料是由塑料製成,因此可能需要數年的時間才能分解,16 並遺留堆積如山的有毒微塑料,污染我們的環境,甚至可能進入你我的身體裡面。煙蒂還富含砷及鉛等有毒化學物質,若被隨地亂扔,這些化學物質就會滲入環境之中,並威脅海洋及野生動物。17
煙草商對於傾倒於環境中未經檢查的有毒廢棄物數量,所承擔的責任為零。根據煙草商的內部文件,顯示他們用來掩蓋污染的謊言及公關宣傳,並希望我們將責任歸咎於煙草使用者的亂扔垃圾,讓煙草商可因此規避任何環境規章,18 9 20 21 但如此缺乏責任感的結果是每年耗費四千一百萬美元加州納稅人的錢。22
更令人驚訝的是:煙草商的新電子煙已經引發年輕人的電子煙流行病,電子煙與煙蒂存在同樣的所有環境問題,也就是塑料污染及有毒化學物質滲入環境之中。23 24 此外,由於電子煙屬於電子設備,因此還會遺留電子廢棄物,25 眾所周知處理起來相當困難且所費不貲。26
重點:沒有任何人,也沒有任何地方,可以安全遠離大煙草商的危害。
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