When people litter cigarette buts, they hardly ever think of it as a big issue. Cigarette butts are so tiny, aren’t they? What harm can they possibly bring? Aren’t they biodegradable? Maybe they shouldn’t even be considered litter…

Well, actually, cigarette butts do cause serious environmental problems: they are not biodegradable and contain toxic chemicals. They contaminate soil and water, and are extremely harmful to sea life. E-cigarettes are not a better option: they produce both plastic and electronic waste.

In today’s episode, Dr. Karen Evans-Reeves will tell us about the environmental impacts caused by the tobacco industry after its products are consumed. She is a research fellow within the Department for Health at the University of Bath and has been researching the tobacco industry for the last 10 years.

This episode has used audio from CBC News, National Geographic, TV6, CTV, and 13News.

Our guest:

Dr. Karen Evans-Reeves – research fellow within the Department for Health at the University of Bath

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Unlocking the Tobacco Supply Chain is a podcast produced by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Knowledge Hub for Articles 17 and 18, which is based in Brazil, in the Center for Studies on Tobacco and Health from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

The information and views set out on this podcast are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (the Protocol), or the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC and its Protocols.