How on earth can cigarette companies pretend to be concerned about the environment when they produce a product that kills? Each day 123 Canadians die from tobacco related causes. Is greener packaging going to change that statistic? Does anyone really care that Imperial Tobacco has replaced foil wrapping with paper and uses external cardboard packaging that meets standards supporting sustainable forest management?

Aside from the health risks associated with cigarette smoke and second hand smoke, the foil paper is the least of the environmental problems related to cigarettes. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world. It is estimated that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered annually. Although you may have been led to believe that cigarette butts are biodegradable, the reality is that it may take 25 years, or they may never degrade. No one knows for sure. The only certainty is that cigarettes are definitely not a green product. Now, take into consideration that every cigarette contains over 4,000 chemicals. What do you think happens to these chemicals when you toss a butt? The chemicals get into the soil or are washed into lakes, rivers, and oceans, causing damage. Animals, fish, and birds can die from eating cigarette butts. And what are issues being tackled by the cigarette manufacturers? Foil paper!

Attention all cigarette manufacturers! There are many problems related to cigarettes that can cause serious damage to the environment, and cause death in animals, fish, birds, and humans. Foil paper is the least of our problems. Please devote yourself to something more constructive.