From global warming to overfishing, human activity continues to threaten ocean health. As a necessary planetary resource and home to many marine ecosystems, it's vital that we actively do what we can to save the ocean. A feature from WEF discusses the 16 principles establishing global cooperation between coastal states worldwide. The third of these principles states: Reduce marine pollution, as human health is closely linked to the ocean's health. The Earth's water sources underpin global systems that make our planet habitable. In today's article, we'll discuss how to protect our oceans from pollution by quitting cigarettes.
How cigarettes pollute the ocean
While cigarette smoke contributes to air pollution, cigarette butts are considered harmful to our oceans. According to a WHO report on the tobacco industry, an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts end up in our oceans, rivers, sidewalks, and beaches every year. Cigarette butts, while lined with paper, contain filters made of single-use plastics that break off into smaller pieces in our oceans, becoming microplastics. Cigarette butts are also home to different chemicals, 50 of which are cancer-causing. Some countries that have established smoking bans in their public spaces also do so for their beaches — such as Spain — to combat the littering problem that comes hand in hand with smoking cigarettes.
Here at Rigging Doctor, we are dedicated to living the cruising life by promoting sustainable sailing using an electric motor and synthetic rigging. To help prevent even more damage to our oceans, reducing and quitting cigarettes is a crucial direct action people can take to combat ocean pollution.
How to quit cigarettes for good
We realize it's challenging to quit smoking, especially if you're out boating and find yourself getting bored or scared of experiencing withdrawal symptoms on your voyage. Over the years, many cigarette and nicotine alternatives have emerged, offering smokers a way out of the harmful habit. From nicotine patches to hypnotherapy, the various methods for smokers to ease out of the habit may even help fight the littering problem that damages our oceans. It's important to note that while some nicotine alternatives will help you be smoke-free, they may still cause littering and be harmful to the environment.
It's essential to find alternatives that will contribute least to waste. Notably, the nicotine pouches on Prilla come in reusable cans so that you can store away pouches easily until you can dispose of them. These pouches are tobacco-free and come in different types, flavors, and nicotine strengths. They come in cans for easy storage, and you use them by placing one between your gum and your lip. Nicotine pouches vary in flavors, from minty to fruity, depending on your preference, and are readily available in convenience stores or online.
Another cigarette alternative that can help reduce littering and pollution comes in the form of e-cigarettes, as they aren't single-use. A feature from the New York Times says that even occasional use of e-cigs such as Juul can offer benefits, such as reducing one's smoking frequency by half within 24 weeks. A study found that those who used nicotine e-cigarettes were likelier to stop smoking traditional cigarettes for at least six months.
There's no doubt that quitting cigarettes is beneficial to your physical health, but focusing on the environmental benefits that come with it can also motivate your quitting journey. After all, sailing sustainably can only truly work for the environment and our oceans if we also actively distance ourselves from activities that contribute to littering and pollution.
