Being a surfer means you care about the ocean. You also care about how you perform. That's two big reasons to think again before smoking or vaping.
The fallout from tobacco products and e-cigarettes is huge. Every stage of production, consumption and disposal has a negative impact on people and planet. We partnered with Surfing Victoria to chat with rising surfers India Robinson, Ben Considine and Bohdie Williams about why they steer clear of smoking and vaping.
Fast facts
"Prior to this partnership between Quit and Surfing Victoria, I didn’t know much about how vaping and smoking impact the environment. It's really concerning hearing about how vapes and cigarette butts are washing up on beaches." - Bodhie Williams
- E-cigarette waste and cigarette butts are turning up on our beaches and killing marine life. Cigarette butts account for 30–40% of all items collected in coastal and urban clean-ups, and have been found inside dead fish and birds. Discarded e-cigarettes and cigarette butts can leach toxic chemicals into soil and water and kill plants and wildlife.
"You're taught at school how cigarettes are bad for the environment and butts get washed down drains and into the ocean. It's scary to know that vapes are now also having the same negative impact on our oceans." - India Robinson
Tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing and disposal isn't sustainable. 3.7 litres of water is used to make just one cigarette. Tobacco production accounts for 5% of global deforestation.
E-cigarette production is environmentally intensive. E-cigarettes are made from plastics, metals, cartridges, lithium-ion batteries, concentrated nicotine solutions and electronics. Producing these materials involves environmentally intensive manufacturing processes. E-cigarettes can't be recycled. Most are made of single-use plastic, and contain lithium-ion batteries that can't be removed and can cause fires in landfill.
Vaping exposes your body to harmful chemicals, so you can't perform at your best. E-cigarettes can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that can damage your lungs, making it harder to breathe. Some of the chemicals can cause cancer. Others damage your heart.
"I’ve never been interested in smoking or vaping. It’s a dirty habit that has a negative impact on my health. I’d rather be able to surf longer!" - Ben Considine
Vaping can get you hooked on nicotine. Most e-cigarettes in Australia contain nicotine, even when they don't say so on the label. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. Being addicted to nicotine means it can be harder to focus on what you're doing, you can be more irritable, you can feel nervous, anxious or restless if you can’t vape or smoke.
Want to learn more? Check out Environmental costs of tobacco
Stop the tobacco industry from causing more harm
The way to stop the tobacco industry damaging people and planet by manufacturing and shipping cigarettes and e-cigarettes around the globe is to reduce the number of people using cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
If you don't already smoke or vape, don't start.
If you are smoking or vaping, there's help at hand.
Quit can help
Quit can help you stop smoking or vaping - it doesn't matter whether you feel ready to, or if you're just starting to think about it. Here's how we can help:
Free online tools and tips
Where do you begin? See quick links to all the info you need to know, explore a range of tips and tactics, and build your own tailored quit plan using our free Build a plan tool.
Free confidential counselling on 13 7848
Quitline counsellors help you build and keep up your motivation to quit and can help you create a quit plan that suits you and your lifestyle.
- Call or SMS 13 7848
- Message us on WhatsApp: 03 8583 2920
- Message us on Facebook Messenger
- Chat online via webchat at quit.org.au
To get in touch with Quitline:
Or you can ask us to call you for free at quit.org.au/callback