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Impact of Cigarettes &

E-Cigarettes on the Community & Environment

What a Waste!

Last updated September 2026

Lesson 3

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Environmental Impact

Community Impact

Disposal Methods

Topics

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A community can be your school, your city, and your neighborhood, to name a few.

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What makes a thriving community?

"The environments we live in should offer access to healthy food, reduced exposure to drugs, less environmental pollution, greater access to quality medical care, and more economic opportunities through jobs."

- Stephanie Cornish

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How Our Community

Shapes Our Health

People

Resources

Activities

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Secondhand Smoke/Aerosol

Heavy Metals

Cancerous Chemicals

Nicotine

Ultrafine Particles

Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs

Talking Points:

One of the ways that cigarettes and e-cigarettes can impact a community the most is through secondhand smoke or aerosol.

Secondhand tobacco smoke, or the aerosol in an e-cigarette, are the clouds of chemicals released into the environment directly. These chemicals include nicotine, cancerous chemicals, ultra-fine particles, heavy metals, other cancerous chemicals, and VOCs or volatile organic compounds.

Because secondhand smoke and aerosol can harm others, there are laws that restrict smoking in beaches, parks, youth sporting events, playgrounds, and sometimes in apartments and other buildings.

There's no such thing as safe secondhand smoke or aerosol. All types of secondhand smoke or aerosol are harmful to the lungs of people, especially children.

Reference:

https://www.undo.org/environmental-impact/smoke-free-beaches-parks-california

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Secondhand smoke or aerosol easily goes from room to room, and location to location:

Secondhand Smoke/Aerosol

Walls

Vents

Windows

Pipes

Hallways

Stairways

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Thirdhand Smoke/Aerosol

Talking Points:

In addition to secondhand smoke or aerosol, cigarettes and e-cigs can also harm our community through thirdhand smoke or aerosol.

Thirdhand smoke or aerosol is the chemical residue left behind on clothes, furniture, walls, and other surfaces after someone smokes or vapes.

(Think prompt): Where do you think thirdhand residue might collect in your own environments?

(Educator Note): If a student shares that they think they have been exposed to secondhand or thirdhand smoke or aerosol, provide ways they can reduce their immediate harm to encourage empowerment in the moment. Some examples include:

-Removing themselves from the environment where secondhand smoke or aerosol is taking place

-Notifying the person or a trusted adult when smelling smoke and/or aerosol

-Talk to a trusted adult about furniture that may carry thirdhand particles.

-Creating signs: Please do not smoke or vape here.

Reference:

https://thirdhandsmoke.org/does-marijuana-create-thirdhand-smoke-2/

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Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing

Protects residents living in apartments, condominiums, and other multi-unit housing from exposure to cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol

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The number and location of tobacco and e-cigarette retailers in a neighborhood can influence community health

Density & Proximity of Tobacco Retailers

Talking Points:

Another community impact is the number and location of tobacco and e-cigarette retail shops. Density refers to the number of retailers in a neighborhood, and proximity refers to how close those retailers are to homes and schools.

Studies show that a higher number of tobacco and e-cigarette retailers in a neighborhood is associated with higher rates of tobacco/nicotine use among people who live there.

Policies in states like California and others help limit the number of tobacco retailers and how close they can be to schools, to protect and reduce youth access to these harmful products.

Let's take a closer look at a real life example.

References:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8171582/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829219308287

https://pets.tcspartners.org/files/Matrix%20of%20Tobacco%20Retailer%20Density%20Proximity_July%202023.pdf

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Real-Life Example

Think-Pair-Share

What problems could arise if tobacco retailers were located within 1,000 feet of schools?

How might this affect the surrounding community?

What would you rather see in your community instead of tobacco retailers?

Talking Points:

In 2020, researchers found that 63% of schools in 30 cities are within 1,000 ft of a tobacco retailer.

Cities include: Baltimore, Boston, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Think-Pair-Share Activity

Ask students to form groups. Ask students to assign a recorder and someone who will represent the group in sharing the responses. Ask students to discuss the following questions:

- What problems could arise if tobacco retailers were located within 1,000 feet of schools?

-How might this affect the surrounding community?

-What would you rather see in your community instead of tobacco retailers?

Thank you everyone! You all came up with great ideas.

Image & source credit:

https://aspirecenter.org/tobaccoretailers/

(Educator Note): If the activity is done to completion, it meets National Health Standard 8.12.2 Advocate for health issues either collaboratively or individually to promote health and well-being.

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Thriving Communities & Social Justice

Smoke-free protections matter most for residents who cannot easily move away from exposure.

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Advocacy Activity

Summarize 3 key points about:

Thriving communities
Secondhand and thirdhand smoke/aerosol
Social justice impact

Choose 1 key point that stood out to you the most. Write a mock letter to any policymaker. In the letter, explain the issue, describe why it matters, and provide suggestions for ways to lessen the harms and impacts discussed so far in today’s lesson

Talking Points:

Let's continue to use our voice and practice advocating for some of the issues we discussed.

-(Educator note):

Ask students to summarize 3 key points they learned from today's lesson. Summaries should include ideas related to:

-Thriving communities

-Secondhand and thirdhand smoke

-Social justice impacts

Ask students to write 1-2 sentences for each key point.

Then ask students to choose 1 of their 3 key points that stood out to them the most.

Ask students to write a mock letter to a policymaker (for example: a mayor, governor, city council member, or school board member).

Letters should briefly explain the issue, describe why it matters to communities, and provide suggestions to lessen the harms or impacts discussed in today's lesson so far.

Examples of suggestions might include:

-Regulating advertising near schools or gas stations

-Creating stronger smoke-free policies

(Educator Note): Suggestion to send student's letters to a real local official.

(Educator Note): If the activity is done to completion, it meets National Health Standard 8.12.5 Demonstrate advocacy skills and strategies to promote health and well-being at interpersonal, community, societal, and environmental levels.

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Environmental Impacts

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Activity

Where do you think these products will end up if no one picks them up?
Where should they be disposed of instead?
Who or what could be affected if they're left behind?

Imagine you are volunteering at a community clean-up with your class. As you're picking up litter, you notice several cigarette butts and e-cigarettes scattered around the area.

Talking Points:

Let's start by looking at a real-world situation. Imagine our class is volunteering at a local community clean-up.

As you're cleaning up, you notice several cigarette butts and e-cigarettes scattered around the area.

With a partner, discuss the questions on the slide or write your responses on a sheet of paper. Think about what might happen to these products if they're left behind, where they might belong instead, and who or what could be affected.

Use what you learned in the last lesson about the materials and chemicals found in cigarettes and e-cigarettes to support your thinking.

(Educator Note): Give students 2–3 minutes to discuss.

(Ask students):

-Where do you think these products will end up if no one picks them up?

-Where do you think they should be disposed of instead?

-Who or what could be affected if they're left behind?

(Take a few responses)

Awesome work. Let's take a closer look at what makes cigarettes and e-cigarette waste toxic to the environment.

(Educator Note): If the activity is done to completion, it meets National Health Standard

1.12.6 Analyze how individual, interpersonal, community, societal, and environmental factors are interrelated and impact health outcomes.

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Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals like nicotine, arsenic, and more.

Cigarette butts are made from

microplastic fibers.

Small animals

Waterways

Large animals

Cigarette butts are the most common littered plastic item found in U.S. beaches and waterways.

Talking points:

Cigarette butts may be small, but they can have a much larger environmental impact when they aren't disposed of properly.

First, consider the filter. It isn't made of cotton. It's made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic, and a single cigarette butt can contain more than 15,000 plastic fibers. These fibers do not biodegrade like leaves or food scraps. Instead, they can break down into smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics that can remain in the environment for a long time.

Cigarette waste can also release harmful chemicals, including nicotine, arsenic, and heavy metals such as lead. When cigarette butts are left on the ground or washed into storm drains and waterways, these substances can enter the environment.

Wildlife can be affected as well. Fish, birds, turtles, and other animals may be exposed to these chemicals or mistake cigarette butts for food and ingest them.

A single cigarette butt may seem insignificant, but millions are discarded every day. They're actually the most common littered plastic item found in U.S. beaches and waterways. These small pieces of waste can add up to a much larger environmental problem.

References:

https://www.undo.org/little-big-lie?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_7KXBhCoARIsAPdPTfgY2TK5ZgfHzX8SfdD7HPnlHeGF9cB_mPi62fZS6GuMKlCkXryY5AcaAiebEALw_wcB

https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/toxic-plastic-problem-e-cigarette-waste-and-environment

Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/422737-422737/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=488400">Hebi B.</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=488400">Pixabay</a>

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What About E-Cigarettes?

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Battery

Pod/Tank/Cartridge

One Device, Three Environmental Impacts

Plastic

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The Battery

E-cigs have a battery inside them, usually made from lithium-ion, making them E-WASTE

When thrown in the regular trash, the e-cig (with the battery) is crushed

This can cause the battery to explode, meaning dangerous fires

Littered e-cigs’ battery slowly deteriorates, and other components go into water

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Along with nicotine, there are also heavy metals like lead, tin and nickel

Discarded e-cigs can cause nicotine poisoning in children and animals

E-cigs are both a hazardous waste and

e-waste

Nicotine is a toxic chemical and can be lethal to small children or animals

The Pod

Talking points:

The second environmental concern is the pod/cartridge in e-cigarettes.

Even when a pod/cartridge appears empty, it can still contain small amounts of nicotine or other chemicals. Nicotine is toxic and can be dangerous if children or animals come into contact with it.

Leftover liquid may also contain metals such as lead, nickel, and tin. If a pod/cartridge is littered outdoors, these chemicals can leach into soil or nearby waterways over time.

So far, we've seen environmental concerns from both the battery and the pod/cartridge. There's one more part of the device to consider: the plastic.

Reference:

https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/What-a-Waste-Legally-Disposing-of-E-Cigarettes-and-Nicotine-Products.pdf

https://www.ozonesmoke.com/media/catalog/product/cache/2e5dd8b74949a298dd2cd2cebdc06e35/j/u/juul-pods-classic-menthol.jpg

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Plastics break down into microplastics, which can infiltrate the ocean, food, and other nature

E-cigarettes contain large amounts of plastic

The Plastic

Talking Points:

The third environmental concern is the plastic used in e-cigarettes.

Many parts of an e-cigarette are made of plastic, just like everyday items such as water bottles, food containers, and straws. When plastic is littered, it doesn't simply disappear. It can take hundreds of years to break down, and as it does, it can break into smaller pieces called microplastics.

Some microplastics are too small to see with the naked eye. They can move through rivers, lakes, and oceans, where wildlife may mistake them for food.

Now we've looked at the battery, pod/cartridge, and plastic. Each part creates a different environmental concern, making e-cigarette disposal more complicated than it might seem.

So where should these devices actually go? Let's look at some of the confusion around e-cigarette disposal.

References:

https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/toxic-plastic-problem-e-cigarette-waste-and-environment

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So where and how do you dispose e-cigs?

E-cigarette companies have purposefully marketed their products so that consumers think they are “clean” or “green.”

The Confusion About Disposal

Some government websites are unclear on how to classify e-cigarettes.

Talking Points:

Understanding the environmental impact doesn't necessarily make disposal straightforward.

Disposal can still be confusing. Guidance and available options vary by product and location, and some e-cigarette companies have marketed their products as “clean” or “green,” which may create the impression that they have less of an environmental impact.

Some states and communities have responded by including e-cigarettes in e-waste or household hazardous-waste programs. For example, Vermont created a program that includes nicotine e-cigarette devices in household hazardous-waste collection and requires e-cigarette companies to help fund their collection and disposal.

But even when disposal programs exist, they may not be available everywhere or easy for everyone to access.

References:

https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/document/hsi-pace-databrief-vape-disposal-and-environmental-beliefs.pdf

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Community Disposal

County drop-off programs that often accept e-cigarettes and other hazardous household waste.

Often located at recycling centers or designated collection sites. Accept batteries and other electronic waste year-round.

A nationwide event held each April where many locations accept e-cigarette devices and cartridges (batteries removed).

DEA National Drug Take Back Day

E-Waste Collection Sites

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Many communities offer disposal resources, but the options vary depending on where you live. Examples include:

Talking Points:

(Educator note): When teaching this lesson, check local disposal guidelines for cannabis products and e-cigarette waste.

So, what disposal options are available in communities?

(Educator note): Read through the three disposal resources on the slide and briefly explain what each one provides.

The options available can vary depending on where someone lives, the type of waste, and the collection programs available. Even when a disposal resource exists, barriers such as limited awareness, transportation, cost, convenience, or collection dates can affect whether people are able to use it.

So, having a disposal option is only part of the solution. What would make these options easier for people in a community to actually use?

Let's return to the community cleanup scenario from the beginning of class and think about what could make a difference.

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Include:

One disposal resource
One way to improve awareness or access
Why your recommendation would benefit the community
Who you would share your recommendation with and why

Which disposal resource seems most accessible?
What barriers might prevent people from using these resources?

Imagine your cleanup team has been asked to improve tobacco product disposal.

Complete the challenge below.

Activity:

Disposal Challenge

Complete the statement:

"To help reduce tobacco product litter in future community cleanups, we recommend..."

Talking Points:

Now, imagine your cleanup team has been asked to improve tobacco/nicotine product disposal in your community.

Work with your group to evaluate the disposal resources from the previous slide. Record your ideas on a piece of paper or in your notebook.

Consider:

-Which disposal resource seems most accessible? Why?

-What barriers might prevent people from using these resources? Think about awareness, transportation, convenience, cost, or limited collection dates.

-Who in your community could help make your recommendation happen or help spread the word? Think beyond government officials. Consider schools, businesses, community organizations, event organizers, waste-management programs, or other groups.

Then complete the statement:

“To help reduce tobacco/nicotine product litter in future community cleanups, we recommend…”

Your recommendation should include:

-One disposal resource

-One realistic way to improve awareness or access

-Why your recommendation would benefit the community

-Who you would share your recommendation with and why

(Educator Note): Give students 8–10 minutes to discuss and develop their recommendation. Invite groups to share their ideas with the class.

As groups share, emphasize that different communities have different resources and barriers. There may not be one solution that works everywhere.

The way a community responds to an issue can depend on what people notice, what resources are available, and who is involved in creating change.

(Ask students): What role does understanding a community's needs and strengths play in helping that community thrive?

(Take a few student responses.)

Keep that idea in mind as we look at how another group of students examined tobacco/nicotine product waste in their own community.

(Educator Note): If the activity is done to completion, it meets National Health Standard 8.12.2 Advocate for health issues either collaboratively or individually to promote health and well-being.

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Photovoice Garbology Project Video

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What community issue were these students trying to address?
How did the photographs strengthen their message?
Who was the intended audience, and what action did they hope people would take?
What made this project an effective form of advocacy?
How could a project like this contribute to healthier schools or communities?

Photovoice Video Debrief

Talking Points:

Now, let's reflect on the Photovoice project we just saw.

Turn to a partner and discuss the questions on the slide. Think about what the students were trying to communicate, who they wanted to reach, and how their project could bring attention to tobacco/nicotine product waste in their community.

Take about 5–7 minutes to discuss and write your ideas with your partner. Then we'll come back together and share a few responses as a class.

Earlier in today's lesson, your cleanup team considered ways communities could improve tobacco/nicotine product disposal. Photovoice offers another way to address these community challenges.

Efforts like these can help communities identify challenges, build on their strengths, and create conditions where people and the environment can thrive.

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Photovoice Project Assignment

Your cleanup team identified a problem: Cigarette & e-cigarette waste can impact the environment and the communities we share. Now it’s your turn to investigate what is happening in your own community.

Over the next week, take 5–10 photos that show how cigarettes, tobacco/nicotine products, and/or e-cigarette products are present in or affect your community.

For each photo, include:

What do you see?

Describe what is happening in the photo

Why does it matter?

Connect your photo to what you learned about environmental and community health

What can be improved?

Recommend one action or change that could help your community

Your photos should show both:

Community Strengths

What is your community doing well?
Examples: Disposal resources, clean public spaces, awareness efforts, etc

Community Challenges

What issues or barriers do you notice?
Examples: Litter or waste, lack of disposal options, limited awareness

Talking Points:

Read the slide with instructions for the Photovoice assignment.

(Educator note): We suggest assigning this on a Thursday with a Monday due date for students to have enough time to gather their photos. We recommend giving the option for students to draw pictures of what they see if they do not have access to a smartphone or camera.

Today, we explored how cigarettes, tobacco/nicotine products, and e-cigarette products can affect environmental and community health, and discussed ways communities can reduce those impacts.

Over the next week, you'll use Photovoice to investigate what is happening in your own community by documenting both community strengths and community challenges related to cigarettes, tobacco/nicotine products, and e-cigarette products.

As you take your photos, think like a community advocate. For each photo, explain what you observed, why it matters based on what you learned in today's lesson, and one realistic action that could help improve your community.

Remember, your goal is not only to identify problems, but also to recognize existing strengths and consider how communities can build on them to create healthier environments.

When you return, we'll display your Photovoice projects in a gallery walk. As you view your classmates' work, look for common themes, unique perspectives, and different recommendations for improving community health. We'll use these observations to discuss how advocacy can raise awareness and inspire positive change.

(Educator Note): If the activity is done to completion, it meets National Health Standard 8.12.5 Demonstrate advocacy skills and strategies to promote health and well-being at interpersonal, community, societal, and environmental levels.

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“The best way to avoid contaminating the environment with e-cig waste is to avoid using them altogether.”

-

– Boulder County, Vape Aware

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Resources

For questions about quitting tobacco/nicotine:

Kick-It California, text “Quit Smoking” or “Quit Vaping” to 66819

For crisis support:

California Youth Crisis Line 1-800-843-5200
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Speak with a trusted adult:

You can also talk with a counselor, nurse, trusted educator, caregiver, or health provider

Talking Points:

(Review of resources from Lesson 1-2)

(Educator Note): Please feel free to edit or include resources that are relevant to your school and/or community.

These resources are here to support young people when they need help, information, or someone to talk to.

They can provide guidance, connect you to support, and help you make safer choices.

When you contact Kick It California, a real person answers, and it is free and confidential.

When you text or call 988, someone will respond within minutes, listen without judgement, and help you figure out your next step.

Often, the first person someone reaches out to isn’t a hotline or a website—it’s a person they trust. One important support is a trusted adult. This could be a parent/caregiver, coach, teacher, counselor, or another adult you trust.

Sometimes these resources are used in big situations, and sometimes they’re used just to ask questions or get advice. You do not have to wait until a situation feels extreme to ask for help.

References:

https://kickitca.org/

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One community or environmental challenge my community still faces...

Wrap Up!

Complete the following:

One thing I learned today...

One realistic action that I could do to help improve my community is...

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Key Takeaways

Cigarettes and e-cigarettes are not biodegradable and harm the environment

You have a voice and can make a difference in improving the health of your community

Properly disposing of cigarettes and e-cigs help protect the environment

Cigarettes & e-cigarettes affect the whole community

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Kahoot!