Global Movement Gains Momentum to Make Big Tobacco Pay for Health and Environmental Harm

By Alain Kabinda

A growing international movement is calling on governments to hold tobacco companies financially accountable for the enormous health, economic, and environmental costs associated with tobacco use, arguing that the industry should no longer be allowed to profit while communities bear the burden of its harmful products.

The call comes as civil society organizations across several countries mark the Global Week of Action to Make Big Tobacco Pay, a campaign aimed at pushing governments to recover the healthcare and environmental costs generated by the tobacco industry each year.

From Latin America to Africa and Asia, health advocates are mobilizing citizens, policymakers, and public health organizations around a common message: tobacco companies must be held responsible for the damage caused by their products.

According to campaign organizers, tobacco remains one of the world's leading causes of preventable death, claiming approximately eight million lives annually and contributing to a range of diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

Yet while the human toll is widely recognized, advocates say the broader financial and environmental costs are often overlooked.

Research cited by campaigners estimates that tobacco-related illnesses and environmental pollution cost society more than US$1.4 trillion annually. These costs include healthcare expenditures, productivity losses, and the cleanup of tobacco-related waste that accumulates in communities around the world.

At the forefront of the campaign is Daniel Dorado, Tobacco Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability, who argues that the tobacco industry has built a profitable business model while shifting the true costs onto governments and taxpayers.

“No matter where we live or what we look like, everyone deserves to lead a healthy life. But the tobacco industry sells dangerous and deadly products at huge profits. Meanwhile, we all pay—with our lives, our taxes, and our environment,” he said.

While tobacco's health effects are well documented, campaigners say its environmental footprint receives far less attention.

Cigarette butts remain the most littered item in the world. Made from plastic-based filters, they often end up in streets, rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they release toxic chemicals into ecosystems.

The rise of electronic cigarettes has created additional environmental concerns. Discarded vaping devices contain plastics, batteries, and chemical residues that present new waste-management challenges for communities and local authorities.

Advocates argue that taxpayers ultimately fund much of the cleanup while tobacco companies continue generating significant profits.

According to campaign organizers, tobacco corporations collectively earn close to US$1 trillion in annual revenue, making the industry one of the most lucrative sectors globally.

Supporters of the campaign believe there is already a framework available to hold the industry accountable.

They point to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world's first public health treaty, which has been ratified by 183 countries.

Among its provisions is Article 19, which encourages governments to explore legal and financial liability measures against the tobacco industry for the harms caused by its products.

Health advocates note that accountability can take many forms beyond large-scale lawsuits. Governments can adopt policies requiring tobacco companies to contribute toward healthcare costs, environmental cleanup, and prevention programmes.

The Global Week of Action includes activities in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, the United States, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Ghana, where civil society organizations are engaging policymakers and the public on the need for stronger industry accountability.

Campaigners are also gathering public support through a global petition that has already attracted tens of thousands of signatures from people demanding action against tobacco-related harms.

For many public health advocates, the movement reflects a broader shift in how societies view corporate responsibility.

Rather than focusing solely on reducing tobacco consumption, campaigners are increasingly asking whether companies that profit from harmful products should bear a greater share of the resulting costs.

The campaign's message resonates strongly across Africa, where governments continue to face rising rates of non-communicable diseases and growing pressure on public healthcare systems.

In Zambia and many other African countries, health advocates have recently intensified calls for stronger tobacco control measures, including restrictions on marketing, protection of young people from nicotine addiction, and implementation of comprehensive tobacco legislation.

Supporters argue that making tobacco companies contribute to the costs associated with tobacco-related illnesses could help strengthen healthcare systems, fund prevention programmes, and reduce the burden on taxpayers.

As the campaign gains momentum, organizers say the issue is fundamentally about fairness.

They argue that communities should not be forced to pay for the consequences of products that are known to cause disease, environmental damage, and premature death.

To recognize efforts advancing this cause, Corporate Accountability has announced the creation of the Yul Dorado Make Big Tobacco Pay Award, which will honor governments, organizations, and advocates demonstrating leadership in promoting tobacco industry accountability and health justice.

For campaigners, the goal is clear: ensure that tobacco companies bear responsibility for the harms associated with their products and contribute to building healthier, more sustainable societies.

As governments worldwide continue searching for ways to improve public health and reduce healthcare costs, the demand to make Big Tobacco pay is rapidly evolving from an advocacy slogan into a global call for accountability, justice, and corporate responsibilities.