ASH Ireland calls for tobacco litter penalty

Date: 31 May 2010

Statement from ASH , World NO Tobacco Day, Monday 31st May 2010


ASH CALLS FOR LITTER RELATED PENALY ON TOBACCO INDUSTRY


On this ‘World No Tobacco Day’, ASH has called for the Government to impose a penalty on the Irish Tobacco Industry to pay for the massive amount of money spent by the state annually cleaning up tobacco waste. Close to 50% of our urban litter is tobacco related (National Litter Pollution Monitoring System 2003-2008) and this places an immense financial burden on local authorities, as the litter must be cleared from our streets for visual, health and environmental reasons. The National Litter Report published today also confirms this 50% figure.


Dr Angie Brown, Chairperson of ASH said to-day, “we met with Minister Gormley on this ‘litter issue’ last November. Our proposal to impose a levy on the tobacco industry, as a major polluter of our streets and wider environment was well received – yet we have not heard from him since then. Surely we should be applying the ‘polluter pays’ principle in this instance. ASH would suggest that an environmental tax of 50 cent per 20 pack of cigarettes (proportionate levies on other tobacco products) be levied directly on the tobacco industry for every pack of 20 that they seek to sell. The levy would be paid at source, as are other Government levies, by the tobacco industry. The industry could then pass on that levy to their customer base, should they so wish. The key point here is that the State is putting the responsibility on the industry to pay for the problems caused by the product rather than putting all the responsibility on the consumer”


Cigarette waste is a significant cause of environmental pollution in this and other countries. Of particular note is the presence of cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that can take up to 12 years to decompose. The estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette ends discarded across the world each year are believed to kill millions of birds, fish and other animals and are sometimes eaten by young children. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarettes being littered each year across the globe according to The Ocean Conservancy, a group that monitors marine pollution. Their 2009 report, A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris, found that cigarette materials constituted 28% (3,216,691 items) of the total amount of debris collected in their 2008 international coastal cleanup. This was more than twice the amount of any of the other 43 debris items listed in the report.


Dr Brown went on to say, “Our Government is strapped for cash and the tobacco industry is hugely profitable – so why are our taxes being used to clear up the litter of such a wealthy industry. I again ask Minister Gormley and the Government to look at our proposal and introduce legislation to make it happen”


ASH proposal to Government attached below.


Ends
For contact: ASH , 01-2310521
Young Communications, 087-2471520






ASH Paper on Tobacco Litter
December 2009


Introduction
The effects of tobacco on human health and society are devastating. In over 6,500 of our citizens die every year from tobacco related disease and on average smokers loose between 10 to15 years of quality life. It is also estimated that tobacco related diseases account for approximately 6% to 15% of the health budget in developed countries, which would equate to approximately €1.5Billion being spent on tobacco related disease in this jurisdiction annually.


Tobacco and the environment
In addition, the life cycle of a cigarette takes a heavy toll on the environment from growing the tobacco plant to the disposal of butts and packaging. Although the ecological impacts of tobacco are overshadowed by its devastating effects on human health, they are nevertheless considerable and a cause for concern.


Tobacco cultivation is responsible for biodiversity losses, land pollution through the use of pesticides, as well as soil degradation, deforestation and water pollution.
Tobacco plants consume nutrients at a higher rate than most crops.
Cigarette-manufacturing machines use up to four miles of paper an hour to roll and package cigarettes.
Cigarette butts are washed into rivers, lakes and the ocean where they are eaten by birds, animals and fish.
While the global share of agricultural land used for tobacco growing is less than 1%, its impact on global deforestation is 2–4%, making a visible footprint for climate change.


The World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recognises the need for “due regard to the protection of the environment and the health of persons in relation to the environment in respect of tobacco cultivation.”


Tobacco waste
Cigarette waste is a significant cause of environmental pollution in this and other countries. Of particular note is the presence of cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that can take up to 12 years to decompose. The estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette ends discarded across the world each year are believed to kill millions of birds, fish and other animals and are sometimes eaten by young children. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarettes being littered each year across the globe according to The Ocean Conservancy, a group that monitors marine pollution. Their 2009 report, A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris, found that cigarette materials constituted 28% (3,216,691 items) of the total amount of debris collected in their 2008 international coastal cleanup. This was more than twice the amount of any of the other 43 debris items listed in the report


In , the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System carries out annual surveys, which provide reliable information on the extent, composition, and causes of litter pollution in over the years and is outlined in the table below. Year after year cigarette related litter, in particular cigarette butts, are the single most common item of litter on Irish streets as shown in the table below.




Table. Cigarette related litter as a percentage of all litter items.
National Litter Pollution Monitoring System 2003-2008.



2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008

Percentage of all litter that is cigarette related
53.9
48.1
49.4
55.7
46.7
46.1

comprising of







Butts
44.9
39.8
41.8
49.4
40.3
42.4

Matches
5.4
4.6
4.5
3
1.8
2

Boxes and wrappers
2.9
2.5
2
2.9
4
1.5

Matchboxes and lighters
0.6
1.2
1.1
0.5
0.6
0.3


53.8
48.1
49.4
55.8
46.7
46.2




Studies from other countries confirm that cigarette waste is the most prevalent form of street litter. In the cigarettes are also the principal source of street litter, accounting for 70% - 90% of all litter in urban areas. According to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the , cigarette litter can be found on 79% of streets. An estimated 200 million cigarette butts are dropped every day amounting to 122 tonnes of rubbish.


Tobacco related fires
Cigarettes and matches are also a common cause of fire. It is not known how many people across the EU 25 are killed each year as a result of fires caused by cigarettes, but it has been recently conservatively estimated to be at least 1,000[i]. In alone, between 2000 and 2005, 33 people have died in fires directly related to cigarettes. In deaths from fires, where a cause has been identified, cigarettes are the single biggest cause. In addition, between 2000 and 2004, 5,271 fires in have been attributed to cigarettes or other smoking materials. Victims are often more likely to be from low-income households and include non-smokers, smokers, children as well as adults, and fire fighters. These fires, all of which are preventable, are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and of economic harm.


What to do?
The negative environmental impact of tobacco usage is significant. The cost to the State in “cleaning up” after tobacco usage is considerable. Revenue in fines from littering is minimal according to Irish Business Against Litter
It is interesting that the tobacco industry bears no cost in relation to the pollution caused by its products. Neither have they ever engaged with their customers on the need to recognise that the waste products of their consumption of tobacco products are litter if not properly disposed of and that those who inappropriately dispose of litter are in fact breaking the law and contribute to ecological vandalism. Hence there is significant indifference among the population of smokers as to how they dispose of cigarette butts, matches, wrappers etc.


Proposal to Government from ASH
An opportunity now exists for the State to recoup some of the costs of cleaning up after the tobacco industry and their customers, whilst at the same time reducing the demand for tobacco products.


ASH would suggest that an environmental tax of 50 cent per 20 pack of cigarettes (proportionate levies on other tobacco products) be levied directly on the tobacco industry for every pack of 20 that they seek to sell. The levy would be paid at source, as are other Government levies, by the tobacco industry. The industry could then pass on that levy to their customer base, should they so wish. The key point here is that the State is putting the responsibility on the industry to pay for the problems caused by the product rather than putting all the responsibility on the consumer. If the tobacco industry wants the consumer to share in the costs, it can do so by passing on all, or a proportion, of the costs to the customer. However, the industry must pay the Sate the full amount – on the ‘polluter pays’ principle.


Given that there are between 5000 million to 6000 million cigarettes sold in annually which equates to 250 million to 300 million packs of 20, and at a 50cents per pack levy would yield between €125 million to €150 million to the State annually. This is considerable, realisable and justifiable income.


The distribution of the income is a matter for Government, but ASH would argue that 50% of the revenue raised be used to support local authorities in their efforts prevent pollution and clean up after tobacco use. Some of the funding could be used to raise awareness among young people as to the environmental harm that tobacco use causes both here and abroad, and a portion could be considered to fund mass media campaigns to reduce demand among the general public for this addictive and extremely harmful product.


The Irish Government has led the way in the last decade on tobacco control issues and has received deserved international recognition for its efforts. This proposed initiative on tobacco waste has the potential to set an international trend in the ongoing fight against tobacco.