7th October 2009
My pet peeve for the day is people
who throw cigarette butts out the window while they are driving. I drove an hour
this morning and had 3 people throw still burning cigarette butts out the window
of their vehicle in front of me. I know they were still burning and they had
sparks when they hit the pavement. I tried to run my tires over them to try to
put them out Even though it is cooler, there is still a chance of wildfires
people!! There is reminder upon reminder alongside the roadways where grass,
shrubs and trees have burnt over the last few weeks and months. 20 percent of
smokers admit to tossing butts out of their vehicle windows
Tossing cigarettes from a vehicle is subject to a minimum $1,024 fine in Washington State and only a $90 fine in Oregon. If a wildfire starts along the highway from that cigarette, it costs much more than that pittance of either fine.
4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded in the U.S. each year. While one cigarette won’t contaminate the environment, trillions of cigarette butts over time could cause problems. Tobacco companies contend that the butts – tobacco and filter – are biodegradable. However, they can last up to 18 months in the environment, providing plenty of time for the chemicals to leak out.
Please put out your cigarette butts and keep them in a container in your vehicle until you can dispose of them properly.