Smoking: A Public Health Problem That Contributes To The Climate Emergency

Abstract

Smoking and vaping pose a challenge not only to public health but also to the environment. This study analyzes the impact of third- and fourth-hand tobacco use, highlighting the need to integrate educational strategies and stricter environmental policies to reduce its incidence and mitigate its effects on vulnerable ecosystems. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how smoking and vaping contribute to the climate emergency and how public health policies can be integrated with environmental strategies for greater effectiveness. A hypothetical-deductive approach was used, evaluating the environmental impact of smoking in various contexts. Data on pollution generated by tobacco waste were analyzed, and regulatory and educational strategies that could mitigate this problem were examined. Three smoking cessation tests were also analyzed to assess whether they include the environmental component in their questions, such as air pollution, where tobacco smoke generates particulate matter that affects air quality and increases the risk of respiratory diseases; cigarette butt waste, where a single butt can contaminate up to 1,000 liters of water, releasing nicotine and heavy metals; the impact on flora and fauna, where negative effects were identified in ecosystems where cigarette waste accumulates; and the influence of digital marketing, which, through vaping advertising, has reinforced a false perception of safety in consumption, promoting a new generation of smokers. The findings demonstrate the absence of the environmental factor in the smoking cessation instruments, and therefore, an adaptation to one of the instruments is proposed. Thus, this research concludes that strict environmental regulations are needed, including prohibiting the disposal of cigarette butts in public spaces, limiting advertising of tobacco and vaping products, especially on social media, incorporating environmental education into school curricula to strengthen the link between public health and ecological protection, and implementing awareness campaigns that highlight the connection between smoking and the climate crisis. All of this, through an adaptation of the Glover-Nilson Test, aligned with Prochaska and DiClemente's transtheoretical model, would facilitate smoking cessation from an environmental perspective. The research concludes that education and the regulation of public spaces can strengthen awareness and action against smoking, promoting changes in the social perception of tobacco use and nicotine delivery devices.