Cigarette Litter—IMPACTS
The impacts of cigarette litter are many
Toxins in Cigarette Butts
Cigarette butts are not just ugly—they also present a threat to wildlife. Pieces have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures that mistake them for food. So ingestion of plastic cigarette filters is a threat to wildlife.
Fires caused by cigarette butts
According to the National Fire Protection Association, cigarette-caused fires result in more than 1,000 civilian deaths, 3,000 critical injuries (many among firefighters), and $400 million in direct property damage each year. (Source: Albany Times Union, June 13, 2003)
In January 2001, a motorist driving along Interstate 8 in San Diego County flicked a cigarette butt onto the center median, sparking a fire that eventually burned more than 10,000 acres, destroyed 16 homes and charred 64 vehicles.
Ingestion of Cigarettes and Cigarette Butts by Children
Click here for an article by the U.S. Center for Disease Control
The CDC studied 146 children aged six months to two years who had ingested cigarettes or cigarette butts. One-third of them experienced illness—the most common symptom reported was vomiting. Most ingestions occurred in homes where children were exposed to smoke and where cigarettes and ashtrays were kept within the reach of children.
The Cost of Litter
The cost of litter is great—whether the litter is cigarette butts, fast-food containers, beverage containers, or illegally dumped tires. Some of the costs are associated with the manpower it takes to pick up litter. Who picks up litter? Employees of schools, parks, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and local governments have to pick up litter, as do volunteers who care about the environment.
Cost of picking up litter—Some Examples:
"School officials say landscapers who should be planting flowers and pruning shrubs are spending time instead picking up butts on the 15,000-acre campus: Some 13 landscapers spend 10 hours a week picking up discarded cigarettes at an estimated cost of $150,000." -- Philadelphia Daily News, March 27, 2000 on Penn State Cigarette Litter Costs
Click here for newspaper articles about how communities are trying to reduce cigarette litter. Up-to-date articles about cigarette litter and other tobacco-related topics can be found on the tobacco.org website. Click here for information about workplace smoking bans, and how they impact cigarette litter in the environment.
Getting involved is simple. Groups or organisations in any city, town or village across the globe can join Clean Up the World. Registration is free* for non business/corporate organisations and renewable annually. Just visit the Clean up the World activities website to register and put your group and its activities on the global environmental map!
*Business/Corporate Organisations Please Note: Clean Up the World requests Corporate or Large Company Members to pay a Membership fee of USD$200 to help us support not for profit Members. We will contact you in relation to this after you have registered.
with my best wishes, Christiane
Expanded my action today to 11 strangers and ended up generating interest and having some Fun conversations. One guy suggested collecting all the butts from the beach, out them into a large plastic tube for all to see! Three people wanted to get involved and do more.
I gave them my number/took their details and they promised to start talking to the smokers they know. Also I will create a leaflet in Greek and English on the hazards of littering cigarette butts to send out and hand out.
Want to join and get involved? Drop me a comment and lets see what we can do.
Christiane
