THE GUARDIAN: Researchers say filters do not reduce toxicant exposure and are major contributor to plastic waste crisis
Cigarette filters do not work and are a major source of plastic pollution that should be banned by the UK government, experts have said.
In an editorial in Addiction, the journal for the Society for the Study of Addiction, researchers argue that ministers should use a forthcoming tobacco and vapes bill to “ban filters in the interests of public health and the environment”.
“Cigarette filters were designed to give the false impression of safety,” said Dr Katherine East, associate professor in public health at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, who is lead author on the editorial.
“In reality, they do not reduce toxicant exposure and may even increase harm, because they lead people to inhale deeper and for longer and can embed harmful fibres and microplastics in the lungs. They are also a major contributor to the global plastic waste crisis.” » | Damien Gayle, Environment correspondent | Thursday, October 16, 2025
Why don’t these do-gooding killjoys just get bloody lost and let people get their kicks from life where they can? God only knows that these days there are all too few kicks for them to find. — © Mark Alexander
