WHO meeting will weigh banning cigarette filters to curb plastic pollution
Delegates at next week’s World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meeting will consider strong measures to address the vast quantity of cigarette butt litter and its environmental impacts — including proposals to eliminate plastic filters entirely.
Andrew Black, acting head of the FCTC secretariat, told reporters:
“The best thing that we could see for the environment is getting rid of filters altogether.”
WHO officials note that most cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that fragments into microplastics, leaches toxic chemicals and persists in the environment while providing minimal health benefit to smokers.
Litter and plastic pollution
Black said the conference will examine the environmental harm caused by tobacco products and the industry behind them. He cited an estimate that about 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded worldwide each year, making them the most common form of litter on the planet. These discarded filters are a major source of plastic pollution and can contaminate waterways and soils with toxicants.
Rudiger Krech, WHO director for environment and climate change, said:
“It is high time to ban those plastics — they are among the top pollutants in waters and are often contaminated with toxic chemicals.”
Any changes to international rules would be decided by the treaty’s member states; roughly 180 countries have ratified the FCTC, which came into force in 2005 and introduced measures such as graphic pack warnings, smoke-free laws and higher tobacco taxes.
Health toll and new nicotine products
Black warned that decisions taken at the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11), to be held in Geneva from November 17–22, will shape the global tobacco epidemic for generations. He noted that tobacco causes more than seven million deaths a year, a largely preventable toll.
The meeting will also address the rapid growth of novel nicotine products. The WHO’s first global estimate of e-cigarette use indicates there are more than 100 million vapers worldwide, including at least 15 million adolescents aged 13–15. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that, while e-cigarettes are marketed as safer alternatives, there is currently no evidence of a net public health benefit and mounting evidence of harm.
Industry interference and marketing to youth
Tedros and other WHO officials warned that the tobacco industry is focused on profit and is attempting to infiltrate and undermine COP11. Benn McGrady, head of WHO’s public health law and policies unit, said the industry is “lobbying like crazy” and seeking to sow division. He also expressed concern that some new products are designed to appeal to young people through bright packaging, sweet flavours and social-media launches.
The WHO is urging comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship that would also cover e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
What happens next
COP11 delegates will debate a range of proposals, including regulatory and product-focused options aimed at reducing plastic pollution and protecting public health. Outcomes will depend on member-state decisions taken during the Geneva meeting.
