The World Health Organization accused the industry of causing widespread deforestation, diverting badly needed land and water in poor countries away from food production, spewing out plastic and chemical waste as well as emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide.

In its report released on World No Tobacco Day, the UN agency called for the tobacco industry to be held to account and foot the bill for the cleanup.

The report, “Tobacco: poisoning our planet”, looks at the impacts of the whole cycle, from the growth of plants to the manufacturing of tobacco products, to consumption and waste.

While tobacco’s health impacts have been well documented for decades — with smoking still causing more than eight million deaths worldwide every year — the report focuses on its broader environmental consequences.

The findings are “quite devastating,” Ruediger Krech, WHO director of health promotion, told AFP, slamming the industry as “one of the biggest polluters that we know of.”

The industry is responsible for the loss of some 600 million trees each year, while tobacco growing and production uses 200,000 hectares of land and 22 billion tonnes of water annually, the report found.

It also emits around 84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, it said.

In addition, “tobacco products are the most littered item on the planet, containing over 7,000 toxic chemicals, which leech into our environment when discarded,” Krech said.

He pointed out that each one of the estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts that end up in our oceans, rivers, sidewalks and beaches every year can pollute 100 litres of water.

And up to a quarter of all tobacco farmers contract so-called green tobacco sickness, or poisoning from the nicotine they absorb through the skin.

The UN agency also disclosed that no fewer than 1.2 million non-smokers die from exposure to tobacco smoke.

This was contained in a message by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti to mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day.

According to Moeti, tobacco is responsible for the death of half of its users as it harms nearly every organ in the human body.

She said: “Tobacco use can lead to lung, mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, bowel, and other cancers. It increases the risk of chest and lung infections, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions. There is no safe form of tobacco.

Noting that the theme for this year’s was “Commit to quit” as the choice to stop tobacco was in individual’s our hands, she said: “ Millions of people have been motivated to quit tobacco during the COVID-19 pandemic because of evidence showing tobacco smoking impairs lung function, making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other diseases.

“Of the 1.3 billion tobacco users globally, 60 per cent have expressed the desire to quit but only 30% have access to the tools to do so successfully. Digital solutions can help to fill this gap and so at WHO we have introduced “Florence” a digital health worker who gives brief advice on how to quit and links people with the tools and solutions that can help.

“More than 75 million people in the African Region use some form of tobacco. This burden is likely to increase as consumer purchasing power improves coupled with intensive efforts by the tobacco industry to expand the African market. Public health advocates should therefore actively pursue counter-marketing campaigns that highlight the many risks of tobacco use.”

The shooting unfolded at a Jewish market near the Sacred Heart School. The shooters had “targeted” the market in their attack, Mayor Steven Fulop said late Tuesday.

Of the six people who died, one was Detective Joseph Seals, 40, who was married with five kids. The others killed included the two shooters and three civilians.

A second officer was struck in the shoulder by gunfire, and two others were hit by shrapnel, Fulop added.

“Based on our initial investigation (which is ongoing) we now believe the active shooters targeted the location they attacked. Due to an excess of caution, the community may see additional police resources in the days/weeks ahead. We have no indication there are any further threats,” he tweeted.

The situation forced every public school in Jersey City into lockdown mode for hours. The FBI was assisting Jersey City police.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the Jersey City Police Department, especially with the officers shot during this standoff, and with the residents and schoolchildren currently under lockdown,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “I have every confidence in our law enforcement professionals to ensure the safety of the community and resolve this situation.”

Loud volleys of gunfire could be heard at regular intervals but subsided around 2 p.m. in the city, which is just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Dozens of bystanders pressed against the police barrier to film the action on cellphones, some whooping when gunfire bursts filled the air.

Andy Patel, who works at a liquor store about three blocks away from the site of the shooting site, said there had been consistent gunfire for about an hour Tuesday afternoon.

“I can hear the gunshots. It’s like firecrackers going off. They were shooting like crazy about an hour ago. Then it stopped for like 20 or 30 minutes. The cops were clearing everyone off the streets,” said Patel.

President Trump tweeted: “Just received a briefing on the horrific shootout that took place in Jersey City, NJ. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & their families during this very difficult & tragic time. We will continue to monitor the situation as we assist local & state officials on the ground.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding. The New York Police Department sent emergency services personnel, and the force’s counterterrorism unit was monitoring the situation.

Several schools in the area were placed on lockdown while the situation is ongoing, officials said. Jersey City Public Schools tweeted “all students and staff are safe.

The San Francisco Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was responding to the scene, officials said. A local council member told Fox News in an interview that there were three fatalities and about a dozen injured. However, law enforcement did not confirm those numbers.

The scene is still considered active. Police were searching for more than one suspect, The Wall Street Journal reported.

United States President Donald Trump posted on Twitter– citing reports– that a shooter has not been apprehended. Gov. Gavin Newsom called the incident “horrific.”

“Tonight, CA stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely. Grateful for the law enforcement’s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops,” he tweeted.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported”multiple people,” but there were few immediate details. The Los Angeles Times reported that the festival draws tens of thousands of people a year. The annual garlic festival, a three-day celebration featuring food, cooking competitions and music that attracts more than 100,000 people.

Personal videos posted to Twitter clearly looked to show large crowds evacuating the festival. Many witnesses said the shots sounded like fireworks and there was confusion. The first shots were fired near an amphitheater, one witness said.

One witness told KTVU that he heard what he believed was 30 rounds. Some witnesses said the gunman was in army fatigues.

The festival has been a nationally known three-day event drawing thousands of garlic lovers. Sunday was the final day of the festival.