Tobacco products aren’t just harmful to those who consume them but also have a negative impact on the environment, generating 1,70,331 tonnes of waste annually, a study conducted across 17 states shows. The study, conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) in conjunction with the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, shows that all forms of tobacco — from cigarettes and bidis to chewing tobacco — leave behind massive waste.
Called the ‘The Environmental Burden of Tobacco Products Wastes in India’, the study was released in Delhi on 21st Feb 2023. For the purpose of the study, the authors purchased 70 brands of cigarettes, 94 brands of bidis, and 58 brands of smokeless tobacco and correlated the gross and segregated weight of the plastic, paper, foil, and filters used in them with the data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, 2016-17 (or GATS 2).
The study was conducted in 33 districts across 17 states and Union territories between January and April 2022, with the researchers visiting three vendors in each district. According to the GATS-2, India has 267 million tobacco users.
In their conclusion, the authors of the study recommend that apart from a strong policy on the implementation of solid waste management and environmental laws, a financial levy should be imposed on the manufacturers of tobacco products.
