Tobacco: a threat to the environment and to the health of workers

This campaign, presented by the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Articles 17 and 18, informs about the environmental impacts of tobacco cultivation and use, as well as the health risks tobacco workers are exposed to.

Tobacco growing is linked to deforestation, both for the opening of new planting areas and for obtaining firewood for curing. According to the WHO, 200 thousand hectares of land are deforested annually for this purpose. At the same time, soil, air and water are polluted, especially due to the use of pesticides.

Tobacco product waste is also a serious environmental issue, with 766,500 tons of cigarette butts dumped into the environment every year. Electronic cigarettes bring an extra problem: in addition to plastic waste, they generate electronic waste and have toxic components. 

As to the health of tobacco farmers, these workers are susceptible to the Green Tobacco Sickness, a type of nicotine poisoning that occurs while handling tobacco plants. They also face risk of pesticide poisoning and can develop musculoskeletal disorders and skin problems related to excessive sun exposure, such as skin cancer.

Campaign Materials

All the campaign materials can be downloaded; they are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

You are free to use the materials on your communication channels, but please follow these orientations:

- Do not modify the social media cards

- Each image is accompanied by a caption; please let your public know if you decide to use a different caption from the one proposed by the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Articles 17 and 18.