Butts Everywhere!

Once one finishes their smoke, where does the butt go? If there is no ashtray, the common answer is on the ground. This is littering. But why would you care? What I find ironic is that many smokers do 'care' for the environment (Taylor-Cassan, 2007). Yet I find so many cigarette buds lying around - with many not even realising the effects this has to our earth (Taylor-Cassan, 2007).


Image: http://righthandmarketingmanagement.com/righthandmarketingandmanagement1.aspx

Having said this, it does not mean that ALL smokers do this. Someone I know, for example, has bought a portable ash tray, similar to the one pictured below, which she empties when she finds a bin.


Image: http://www.chinatraderonline.com/Lighters-Smoking-Accessories/Ashtrays/Handy-Ashtray/Portable-Ashtray-075430312/

So what damage do these butts cause? Not only to they damage the appearance of the environment, but the chemicals used in cigarettes can dramatically harm wildlife (Polito, 2010). Cigarettes are not biodegradable and so are left lying around damaging the environment for as much as fifteen years (Polito, 2010).

So maybe anti-smoking campaigns should raise awareness about the effects smoking has to the environment?



References:

- Polito, J.R. 2010, Cigarette Butts, Accessed 15/09/2010, http://whyquit.com/whyquit/a_butts.html
- Taylor-Cassan, J. 2007, How Smoking Affects our Environment, Accessed 25/09/2010, http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/environment/smoking-affects/