Low hanging fruit: climate change and tobacco endgame measures
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Bostic, Chris
Huber, Laurent
Romeo-Stuppy, Kelsey
Hopkinson, Nicholas S
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The health risks of tobacco use are well-documented and widely acknowledged by the public. Tobacco consumption is a leading cause of preventable diseases and deaths worldwide. However, the impact of tobacco goes beyond human health, extending to environmental degradation, climate change, and pollution. The environmental footprint of tobacco includes not only the production and distribution of tobacco products but also the waste generated, which continues to harm ecosystems for decades. These environmental costs—spanning deforestation, soil degradation, pollution from cigarette butts, and other forms of waste—are significant and unbalanced by any benefits to society. By addressing the tobacco epidemic, the global community could mitigate a substantial environmental burden and refocus resources on pressing climate change issues.
Date Issued
2026-06-04
Date Acceptance
2026-04-14
Citation
Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2026, 14
ISSN
2296-665X
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Volume
14
Copyright Statement
© 2026 Bostic, Huber, Romeo-Stuppy and Hopkinson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
License URL
Identifier
10.3389/fenvs.2026.1606133
Subjects
deforestation
law
plastic wastes
policy
tobacco and tobacco product
marine pollution
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
1606133
Date Publish Online
2026-06-04