Some time ago, a friend of mine asked me about smoking and being vegan. As a then-new vegan, I explained that my reasons for it were ethical, not for health, so the fact that I smoked wasn’t in conflict at all with being a purposeful vegan. I didn’t really think much else about it at the time, since it seemed to answer my friend’s question. But the question has come back to me as I learn more about what ethical veganism really is.
I’ve had to ask myself again, is it vegan to smoke? And after much thought, I’ve had to answer myself, “Of course it’s not vegan, but who cares?! It’s just plain stupid!” I quit smoking last Friday, (yes, Friday the 13th – what do you expect from someone who talks to themselves?).
That smoking is harmful to those who do it, is a given. I have never wanted to commit to being a smoker. Unfortunately, until recently, I’ve also never really wanted to commit to being a non-smoker, either. But smoking demands a commitment from us, whether we want to give it or not. And the whole time it has us, it is destroying our health little by little – aging our skin, damaging our respiratory tract, clogging arteries, bringing us closer to stroke, cancer, and other health disasters…and all the while, spending our money at an ever-increasing rate. Still, it’s easy for an addict to rationalize smoking.
What about vegan ethics regarding harm to other living creatures and the environment? Most smokers avoid exposing others to second-hand smoke, and some (although not enough) would never litter cigarette butts. Since cigarettes are a plant-based product, it would seem that there is nothing inherently un-vegan about it, as long as we are responsible and considerate about where and when we light up. Indeed, we can rationalize this too, if we are viewing the act of smoking on an independent level.
It isn’t until we consider what kind of suffering goes into the cigarette before we smoke it, and what kind of harm lingers in its remains, afterward – that the un-veganness of smoking becomes obvious. Here are 3 (more) good reasons why vegans especially should not smoke.
Tobacco Slave Trade
Although America freed its tobacco production slaves nearly 150 years ago, slavery in the tobacco industry is still alive and well in countries such as Malawi, where children working on plantations are regularly exposed to toxic levels of nicotine from handling the plants.
Multi-national companies own these plantations, so even if none of your cigarettes come directly from child slave labor, it is likely that you are supporting a company that trades in humans.
.
BBC: Malawi Children in Tobacco Industry
Animal Testing of Cigarettes and Nicotine
By becoming addicted to nicotine, we drive the use of animals either to test the product, research its effects, or to evaluate new drugs to help us quit.
Vegans avoid using any product that is tested on animals, wherever possible – but many are unaware of the on-going animal testing that is (and has been, for many years) conducted by the tobacco industry and big pharm.
Environmental Impact
As if testing cigarettes on animals were not bad enough, researchers are now calling for used butts to be classified as toxic waste. They came to this conclusion after conducting an experiment in which fish were placed in water that had had cigarette butts soaking in it for 24 hours. Half the fish died within 5 days. Even if your butts are properly disposed of in the trash, ultimately, they will end up in a landfill or perhaps the ocean, where those toxins will leech into groundwater or aquatic/marine habitat.
Cigarette Butts Are Toxic Waste: Study
Priscilla Feral
on Nov 18th, 2009
@ 9:05 am:
Very well-argued, Catherine. Pleased you’ve mentioned the
environmental hazards of cigarette butts. Tossing them on
the ground is littering, yet smokers routinely discard butts
as though they’re biodegradable, which as you’ve pointed
out, isn’t true.
Aside from the health of other humans in one’s home, cats
and dogs don’t have a choice about breathing the air
smokers pollute.
You’re kicking a drug addiction, so cheers to you for
intestinal fortitude.
Priscilla Feral
Friends of Animals
Catherine Burt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 8:43 am:
Thank you Priscilla! Yes, there is really no “out” for people smoking if they care about animals or the environment. That is the inescapable conclusion I came to… no matter how or where I smoked, or where the butts ended up, I was causing harm that I would never otherwise want to inflict on anyone, human or animal.
jill
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 10:06 am:
when you were tweeting about this, i was also thinking of all the critters killed in (industrialized) tobacco harvesting. while the same happens with wheat, corn, etc – since tobacco and smoking is NOT essential, these albeit unintentional harvest deaths are more avoidable than food-plant harvest deaths.
best of luck as you commit to being a non-smoker! =)
Catherine Burt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 10:26 am:
Thanks Jill =) Yes, animals that are killed in the incidental harvest of a completely harmful and unnecessary crop…. I hadn’t even thought of that one, but I hope people read the comments and see it, it’s a great point!
Julie Ann
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 8:10 pm:
OMG
I am a smoker and Vegan. I forgot totally about the experiments done on animals over cigg issues. I am going to do my best to quit smoking. I am so against animal testing and experiments and I boycott tons of companies that use animal testing and than I smoke. OMG I cannot believe I forgot about animal testing on the effects of smoking ciggs.
thank you for this article.
Catherine Burt
on Nov 19th, 2009
@ 9:21 pm:
I did the very same thing for 2 years Julie… I really owe this whole “epiphany” to several of my friends who have pointed these things out to me. I said the same thing “OMG. How could I have overlooked this??”
And you know? I’m a week into this quit now, and feel so much better already, physically. More energy, breathing easier, better able to smell and taste all that fabulous vegan food! Quitters have a lot to look forward to – good luck with yours =)
Lee Hall
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 12:31 am:
“I’m a week into this quit now, and feel so much better already..” Happy anniversary, Catherine. Smart of you to do this in public! It’ll be a big motivator for you.
Also, I see you are a good influence on others.
It’s a good idea to keep your health, to the extent possible. After all, others judge the results of vegan living by what they see in you.
laytonian
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 11:20 am:
Go, Catherine!
As an ex-smoker myself (five years and counting), I found that the thing that made me quit, were the ethics and cleanliness issues (not the “habit”). I just decided not to buy any more cigarettes, and haven’t looked back or wanted any more.
PS – Thanks for the roasted tomato soup recipe. Now, I just need to find more really-good tomatoes to make more!
Catherine Burt
on Nov 21st, 2009
@ 11:30 pm:
Congratulations, Laytonian! I plan to see my 5 year anniversary for not smoking in exactly 5 years, I’m tired of looking back myself (this is not my first quit).
I’m already missing my garden =( Tomatoes yes… but I was also so spoiled on fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, and parsley). Already planning next year’s garden. I’m glad you liked the soup recipe, I did too. Cindi has never steered me wrong on cooking.
Lee- totally agree. One of the reasons I went vegetarian rather than vegan all those years ago… was because I had never met a healthy vegan. I didn’t know it was possible, and so now I really like being the myth-buster . Thanks again for tweeting one of the articles that led to this quit!
Electric Monkey
on Dec 23rd, 2009
@ 3:45 am:
Kudos to you for bringing to light very important factors that most smokers do not take into consideration when they light up!!
Rusty
on Jan 20th, 2010
@ 10:06 am:
Question.
I’m not getting onto anyone, I am asking a question.
The goal is to get an answer, nothing more.
I am not vegan, or even vegetarian, so I don’t know how one would avoid animal testing without getting an amish manservent.
Can anyone clarify?
Catherine Burt
on Jan 20th, 2010
@ 12:03 pm:
Hi Rusty, the idea is to avoid what you can. We can’t avoid animal products 100% in our world, it’s just been this way too long. BUT it is especially disturbing to a person who holds vegan principles, that they are supporting and even fueling an entire industry of animal testing and human slave labor with an unnecessary habit.