Tobacco’s Toxic Plastics in Our Oceans

Every year, our environment is inundated with over 4 trillion plastic cigarette filters, many of which end up in our precious oceans.

These filters, also known as butts, contain harmful microplastics that take over a decade to decompose.

During this period, they release toxic chemicals and metals like arsenic, lead, and ethyl phenol, posing a grave threat to both terrestrial and aquatic life.

Cigarette Filters Harm Both Health and Environment and Must be Banned
Cigarette filters are a stark example of the tobacco industry’s flawed product design.

Despite being perceived as a safety feature that enhances the appeal of cigarettes, these filters have been linked to a more aggressive form of cancer.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) and numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have called for a ban on cigarette filters

and for holding the tobacco industry responsible for its environmental damage.

STPA: Plastics Policies Must Align with Tobacco Control Policies
While many countries have introduced policies to regulate plastics, very few have specifically addressed the issue of cigarette butts.

At the same time, the world’s governments are uniting to save our oceans from the harmful impact of plastics through the UN Plastics Treaty Negotiations.

In recognition of an urgent need, the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) and Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) brought together advocates from around the world to establish the STOP Tobacco Pollution Alliance.

This alliance aims to promote the alignment between the WHO FCTC and the plastics treaty, ban filters, and to make the tobacco industry pay.

Latest Resources for INC4:

Blog Article:

Tobacco Industry Must Be Removed from Plastics Treaty Negotiations. Access here.

List of entities:

List of Observers Found to Have Links with Tobacco Companies at INC-4. Access here.

Policy Brief:

Why the Zero Draft of the UN Plastics Treaty Should Deal with Tobacco’s Toxic Plastics (updated version). Access here.

Blog Article:

Advancing Environmental Protection at COP10: Implications for Tobacco’s Toxic Plastics and Extended Producer Responsibility. Access here.

Talking Points:

Key positions of STPA. Access here.

Side-by-side:

Revised draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Access here.

STPA Members' Letter to the Ministry Of Health

STPA Members' Letter to the Ministry Of Environment

RESOURCES

Featured Resources

Sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee of UN Global Plastics Treaty

Third Session (INC-3)

13-19 Nov, 2023

Daily key takeaways: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6 & 7

Aligning with the alliance’s advocacy on the inclusion of tobacco’s toxic plastics in the upcoming plastics treaty, and urging a ban on cigarette filters, one significant highlight of INC-3, concluded on November 19, 2023, was the mention of cigarette filters in the report (refer to page 3) submitted by Contact Group 1.

Second Session (INC-2)

29 May-02 Jun, 2023

Daily key takeaways: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Ahead of INC-2, the STPA convened a round table discussion, The Road to a Ban on Cigarette Filters, that brought together experts and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to assess the potential benefits and challenges of a cigarette filter ban. This RTD served as a platform for collaboration and advocacy efforts to generate recommendations for policymakers and advocates on promoting a ban on cigarette filters.

Additionally, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and STPA organized a webinar (Part A and B) with the renowned public health community to build the capacity to take action supporting advocacy at the country level, as well as during INC sessions and the Tenth session of the Conference of Parties to the WHO FCTC (COP10). The webinar aimed to garner support from key community stakeholders concerning the important Plastics Treaty.

First Session (INC-1)

28 Nov-02 Dec, 2022

Interventions delivered by members of the STPA highlight the importance of banning cigarette filters and excluding the tobacco industry and other private actors who have an inherent conflict of interest from participating in the discussions. These include:

Intervention statement of ASH, A co-convenor of the STPA, at INC-1 of the UN Plastics Pollution Treaty, Second intervention statement by ASH at INC-1 of the UN Plastics Pollution Treaty, Joint statement from ASH, COARE and CIEL, Statement by Corporate Accountability, Statement by Vital Strategies

The alliance also contributed the following articles to the POPLite Bulletin of the Break Free From Plastic Movement, which provided daily key takeaways during the first and second sessions of the negotiations:

Additional Readings

Templates

Videos

This video is also available in Spanish and French.

MEMBER ORGANISATION:

Earth Day Network	Malaysian Women’s Action for Tobacco Control and Health (My WATCH)
Plastic Pollution Coalition	NCD Child
Fundación OneSea	Menzies School of Health Research
ACITASVE (Asociación Civil Interdisciplinaria Tabaco o Salud Venezuela)	PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress)
HealthJustice Philippines	Aliance Contre Le Tabac
ACT Promoção de Saúde	Nofumadores.org
ACT-Alliance contre le Tabac.	Corporate Accountability
Action Council against Tobacco in India (ACT-India)	NTAKK
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH-US)	Pratyasha Anti-drug’s club
Japan Society for Tobacco Control	CIET (Tob Epidemic Research Center of Uruguay)
African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA)	International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
Norwegian Cancer Society	RIPO - Red Internacional Promotores de ODS
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada	Israel Medical Association for Smoking Cessation and Prevention
Alianza Antitabaco Ecuador	Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
Alianza ENT	The Union (International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease)
Lentera Anak	RENATA (Red Nacional Antitabaco)
ASH Scotland	Den of Hope Youth Group
Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control (ACTC)	Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)
Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians	Educar Consumidores
BlueLink Civic Action Network	VCU Health
Bren School, UC Santa Barbara	Federal Ministry of Health
CAT - Centro de Apoio ao Tabagista (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)	FIC Argentina
Center of Studies on Tobacco or Health of the National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation	TobaccoTactics team at the University of Bath
Orendain Associates	Fiji Cancer Society
Clalit health services	Danish Cancer Society
CNPT (Comité Nacional para la Prevención del Tabaquismo)	Swiss Association for Tobacco Control
COLAT (Comisión Nacional Permanente de Lucha Antitabáquica)	Fundación Bolivia Saludable - Alianza por la Salud
Fundacion Annas	Unfairtobacco
Consumer Information Network	stop2drop
Consumers Association of Penang	PROESA-U.Icesi
Salud Justa Mexico	Smokefree partnership
Friends of the Earth Canada	PROI
GoClean Nederland B.V.	Recreation Therapy New Zealand
Green Crescent Turkey	Refleacciona con Responsabilidad A.C.
Belgian Foundation Against Cancer	Vision for Alternative Development
Health Funds for a Smokefree Netherlands	Vital Strategies
Belgian Alliance for a Smoke Free Society	FIC Bolivia - Alianza por la Salud
Aerztlicher Arbeitskreis Rauchen und Gesundheit e.V.	Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC)
Healthy Latin America Coalition (CLAS)	Smoke Free IsraelSmoke Free Loife Coalition
Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA)	Tobacco Free Association of Zambia
Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia	Société Francophone de Tabacologie
Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Inc.	Society For Public Health Professionals of Nigeria
Comité national contre le tabagisme (CNCT)	Tobacco Control Alliance in Georgia
International Youth Health Organization	TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland
Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE)	Súmate
ASH Finland	Tobacco Free Portfolios
Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC)	European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP)
KADC	Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health
Kyiv City Public Health Center	San Diego State University Center for Tobacco and The Environment
Mps-Gabon	ASH (Canada)