Antibiotic resistance is a major global health problem: it implies that vital drugs are no longer effective. A study led by researchers at the Institute of Hydrobiology at TUD Dresden University of Technology demonstrates that pollutants from cigarette smoke and cigarette waste can promote the growth and spread of resistant bacteria in the environment. The interdisciplinary and international research group also shows that smoking increases the spread of resistant bacteria in the human lung. The study is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.