Indore : Over 39.5 percent adults in Madhya Pradesh use tobacco in some or other form. Thus, one can guess the quantity of tobacco waste generated adversely affecting the quality of life.
Patron of Voice of Tobacco Victims and National Chairman, IMA Cancer and Tobacco Control Committee Dr Dilip Acharya, said: “Cigarette butts consist of un-smoked remnant tobacco, filter and paper wrap. It also contains carcinogens, nicotine and toxins and toxic metals such as cadmium, arsenic and lead in a highly concentrated form. All these pose high risk to public health.”
He said action must be taken at the earliest to contain such hazardous litter as more than 100 billion cigarette butts are discarded in India every year which contain harmful and cancer-causing chemicals.
“Research has shown that about 25-50% of litter accumulated from the streets comprises tobacco residues. While India is working towards Swachh Bharat, 100 billion non-biodegradable cigarette butts are getting disposed off into environment every year,” Dr Acharya said.
He also said about the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the matter of Doctors For You Vs MoEF dated November 2, this year, in which the NGT asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file their response on the harm caused by cigarette/bidi butts and chewing tobacco to the environment.
“The NGO, Doctors for You, an organization working towards cancer care, had moved the NGT praying that the Centre be directed to declare cigarette and bidi butts ‘toxic waste’. The petitioner also brought forth the findings of Kerala State Forest Department, which revealed that around 60 hectares of forest was lost between February 2009 and March 2010 due to fires started by carelessly thrown cigarette butts.
In Hyderabad, from Jan 2010 to March 2013, at least 1,333 cases of cigarette caused fires were reported,” the expert added.
Dr Acharya said, in our state too, more than 31.4 percent of population is using smokeless tobacco in one or other form.
“Consumption of tobacco at public places should be prohibited and people should be allowed to smoke and chew (and spit) in only designated areas where norms for disposal of cigarette/bidi butts and toxic saliva should be made. Such designated areas should be licenced and monitored jointly by the Ministry for Environment and Ministry of health.
