Researchers have called on the UK government to ban cigarette filters, arguing they do not reduce toxicant exposure and are a major contributor to plastic pollution. In an editorial in the journal Addiction, experts say ministers should use a forthcoming tobacco and vapes bill to outlaw filters.
Dr Katherine East, associate professor at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and lead author, stated: 'Cigarette filters were designed to give the false impression of safety. 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.'
About six million adults in the UK smoke, averaging 11 cigarettes a day. Polling cited by the researchers shows over three-quarters of people, and more than four-fifths of smokers, mistakenly believe filters protect against health harms. The authors argue filters may increase harm by making cigarettes more palatable and compelling deeper inhalation, potentially raising rates of lung adenocarcinoma.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health and a co-author, said: 'Filters are a marketing con to keep people smoking, protecting tobacco industry profits. The government has an opportunity to stop enabling this deception and ban filters outright.' The editorial recommends public education campaigns alongside any ban to dispel misconceptions.
