Copyright, 2002 © Tobacco Control Resource Center, Inc.

Exploring cigarette Exploring cigarette litter:litter:

New opportunities to New opportunities to engage youth &engage youth &young adultsyoung adults

An interactive workshop An interactive workshop for tobacco control advocates for tobacco control advocates

NCoToH Sarah Elisabeth Curi, JD, MPH

Walter Lamb

11/20/021:30pm

.

                  

IntroductionIntroductionThe healthconsequences ofsmoking and second handsmoke areincreasingly wellunderstood.

The environmental consequences of cigarette litter are less well known.

Can incorporating a cigarette litter awareness campaign help energize youth volunteers and improve your overall tobacco control program?

Today’s objective = SynergySynergy• provide an overview of the impact of

cigarette litter on the environment

• explore how tobacco control and cigarette litter reduction efforts can complement one another

• brainstorm about implementing a cigarette litter awareness campaign as part of your tobacco control program

1. Law and Public Health

Sarah Elisabeth Curi, JD, MPH

Tobacco Control Resource Center, Tobacco Control Resource Center,

Inc.Inc.

Three Perspectives on Cigarette Three Perspectives on Cigarette LitterLitter

2. Science and Academics

Kathleen Register

3. Environment and Advocacy

Walter Lamb

CigaretteLitter.OrgCigaretteLitter.Org

The FactsThe FactsCigarettes are the most littered item on earth, with Cigarettes are the most littered item on earth, with several trillion littered annuallyseveral trillion littered annually

Filters are made of cellulose acetate (a plastic) NOT Filters are made of cellulose acetate (a plastic) NOT cotton and can take decades to degradecotton and can take decades to degrade

Toxic smoke condensate from littered filters is Toxic smoke condensate from littered filters is harmful to the environmentharmful to the environment

Discarded cigarette butts are a leading cause of Discarded cigarette butts are a leading cause of outdoor and home fires and have resulted in outdoor and home fires and have resulted in millions of dollars in property damage and deathmillions of dollars in property damage and death

The average smoker accounts for 2.7 lbs of The average smoker accounts for 2.7 lbs of cigarette butts each year, much of which is litteredcigarette butts each year, much of which is littered

Environmental Environmental ConsequencesConsequences

Ubiquity = Ubiquity = DANGER !DANGER !

Biohazard = Biohazard = DANGER !DANGER !

Fire Hazard = Fire Hazard = DANGER !DANGER !

# of Cigarette Filters Weight Volume

• 1 (one cigarette) 0.006 oz 0.50 ml

• 20 (one pack) 0.12 oz 10 ml

• 7,300 2.74 lbs 3.65 liters

(one year’s consumption for one smoker smoking one pack per day)

• 470,000,000,000 176,250,000 lbs 235,000,000 liters

(number of cigarettes smoked in the U.S. in 1998)

• 5,608,000,000,000 2,103,000,000 lbs 2,804,000,000 liters

(world cigarette consumption in 1998)

The The NumbersNumbers

Who is affected?Who is affected?• Toxins in cigarette butts

quickly leach out and are deadly to a critical aquatic species

• The Rhode Island Department of Public Health identified 40 cases of cigarette ingestion by children– over 1/3 produced symptoms such as vomiting, gagging, and lethargy (1996)

• The estimated cost of cigarette litter on society is hundreds of millions of dollars per year

What is cigarette litter doing to our

water?

How can we prevent cigarette How can we prevent cigarette litter?litter?

Education?

Ashtrays?Taxes?

Laws?

Fines?

Biodegradable Filters?

Cigarette Deposits?

Smoking Bans?

Peer Pressure?

Litter Laws cover Cigarette Litter Laws cover Cigarette LitterLitter

“Whoever places, throws, deposits, discharges, or causes to be placed,

thrown, deposited, or discharged, any trash, bottles or cans, refuse, rubbish,

garbage, debris, scrap, waste or any other material of any kind on a public

highway or within twenty yards thereof, or on any other public land, or in or upon coastal or inland waters… or on property

of another… shall be punished by a fine ...” M.G.L. ch. 270 § 16

Enforcement = KeyEnforcement = Key• With the support of local law enforcement, the South

Carolina Litter Control Association launched a zero-tolerance campaign.

• In North Carolina, a new litter law carries a penalty of $250 for intentional littering plus $90 in court costs.

•Colorado passed a law punishing flicking a lighted cigarette butt out of a car window with 3 to 12 months in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both (July 2002).

• The California Highway Patrol usually issues over 5,000 tickets a year to motorists who flick lighted cigarette butts out their car windows (fine of $271, and the judge has the option of assigning community service to the offender).

•Penn State University spends $150,000 annually paying landscapers to pick up cigarette litter.

Tobacco Control Activists are limited only by the bounds of

creativity• at the urging of a resident the chairwoman of the city of

Cambridge environmental committee considered inserting in all city mailings a notice that the littering of cigarette butts is illegal - Massachusetts

• to combat litter residents of a seaside community proposed a ban on smoking at all public beaches in the town - Massachusetts

• an ordinance that would ban the use of all tobacco products in parks, plazas, and playgrounds - New Hampshire

• a toll-free Litter Hotline to report littering on highways. Warnings postcards are then mailed by the state DOT to litterers reminding them about litter laws, possible fines, and the $4 million yearly clean-up costs - Oklahoma

• a “deposit” bill proposed a $1 surcharge on each pack of cigarettes; smokers could redeem each butt for a nickel - Maine

Case Study:Case Study: Cigarette Butt Deposit Cigarette Butt Deposit

LegislationLegislationPros:Pros:

+ Potential for significant publicity

+ Increases price of cigarettes (if it passes)

Cons:Cons:

- Difficult to pass (already defeated in two states)

- Serious logistical issues with collection sites

- Could provide justification for littering

- Still pose toxic and fire hazard if littered for someone else to pick up later

Recommendation: Recommendation:

Assess goals and consider other possibilities firstAssess goals and consider other possibilities first

Case Study:Case Study: Bio-degradability Bio-degradability LegislationLegislation

Pros:Pros:

+ + Simple logic = it worked for bottles and six-pack rings

Cons:Cons:

- - Littered butts will still cause fires.

- - Children and animals will still ingest cigarette butts.

- - The toxins in the filters and in the remnant tobacco will still leach into the environment.

- - If filters were biodegradable, littering might increase, as people justify or excuse such littering.

Recommendation: Recommendation:

Assess goals and consider other possibilities firstAssess goals and consider other possibilities first

A Sample Law No manufacturer shall sell or

offer for sale any tobacco productconstructed of plastic filters or any

other device or material which cannotbe broken down by bacteria and

or by light into constituentparts.

Taking ActionTaking Action

Limited resources are best allocated: Limited resources are best allocated:

1.1. design and implement public awareness design and implement public awareness campaigns about the magnitude and campaigns about the magnitude and prevention of cigarette litterprevention of cigarette litter

2.2. enforce existing litter lawsenforce existing litter laws

3.3. hold the tobacco industry accountable hold the tobacco industry accountable for the environmental impact of its for the environmental impact of its productsproducts

There is no right program, There is no right program, but …but …

Focus on programs that:Focus on programs that:++ Emphasize responsibility of smokers and Emphasize responsibility of smokers and

cigarette makers and retailerscigarette makers and retailers++ Change behavior of smokers and perceptions of Change behavior of smokers and perceptions of

non-smokers regarding cigarette litternon-smokers regarding cigarette litter++ Help promote your overall program objectives Help promote your overall program objectives

Avoid programs that:Avoid programs that:- - Are too clever for their own good Are too clever for their own good- - Relieve smokers and tobacco companies from Relieve smokers and tobacco companies from

responsibilityresponsibility-- Are too complex to implement immediately Are too complex to implement immediately-- Play into the biodegradability debate Play into the biodegradability debate

Uses beach cleanups of cigarette litter to Uses beach cleanups of cigarette litter to attract youth members, focus communities on attract youth members, focus communities on tobacco control, and to promote their agenda.tobacco control, and to promote their agenda.

Trenton, NJ – August 15, 2002 – Nearly 600 members of REBEL, New Jersey’s youth anti-tobacco movement, cleared 17,327 cigarette butts from parks and beaches and handed out information to launch their campaign “Spare the Air – It’s What We Breathe,” an initiative to raise awareness about the deadly effects of secondhand tobacco smoke.

: Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies

McTupp: McTupp: Mohave County Tobacco Use Prevention Program

“Lake Havasu City youth coalition, TOBAC (Teens On Battle Against Cigarettes and Chew), picked up cigarette litter a few years ago from Rotary Park beach, near the London Bridge. From the pile created, a local photographer created a wonderful anti-tobacco litter poster. This event proved so popular that the TOBAC kids have now made this an annual May event.”

No Butts About ItNo Butts About It

Promote education and legislation aimed at litter reduction Connecticut State Assembly

Senate Bill 581

AN ACT CONCERNING ASHTRAYS IN CIGARETTE PACKAGES

“No person may sell or offer for sale a package of cigarettes unless such package contains a disposable ashtray.”

Introduced by Environment Committee

Motion Failed – 15 to 12

How will my tobacco control How will my tobacco control program benefit from a program benefit from a

cigarette litter awareness cigarette litter awareness campaign?campaign?

Reach and energize more Reach and energize more youthyouth

Expose tobacco Expose tobacco companies deceptive PR companies deceptive PR practicespractices

De-normalize smoking De-normalize smoking behavior behavior

Increase media coverageIncrease media coverage

Provide added incentive Provide added incentive for smokers to quitfor smokers to quit

Build coalitions and Build coalitions and leverage existing leverage existing organizations and eventsorganizations and events

Engaging TeensEngaging Teens

“We collected thousands of butts off the surface of the beach in one hour … We are having our celebration for the proclaimed smoke free beaches and parks week this Saturday.”

- Candace Porter San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth

Engaging TeensEngaging Teens

“Adults litter their cigarettes at the beach in front of kids. Tobacco litter is actually more dangerous than other litter because of the chemicals.”

- Erick Perez San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth

Engaging TeensEngaging Teens

“Thank you for all of your help. Anslee turned in her project and received and an A for her hard work. She was also selected to be a part of the school Science Fair which is this Saturday. We are VERY excited … We definitely saw enough results to say that Cigarette Litter is toxic to the environment.”

-Mother of Junior High Student

Engaging TeensEngaging Teens

“Little kids can put the cigarette butts in their mouths. It’s really horrible.”

- Neha Jain San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth

Industry Industry ResponsibilityResponsibilityThe Tobacco Industry: THEN

... Our best course of action may be maintaining a low profile while working to exempt cigarettes from coverage of pending litter control legislation ... Recommendation ... the concept of courtesy should be limited to the smoking of -- rather than the disposal of -- tobacco products.

- 1979 Tobacco Institute memo

Q: Do cigarettes cause litter?

A: Unfortunately people cause litter, and the main way to reduce it is by people taking care about disposing of any kind of litter. But we recognise that we can help to reduce the problem. Our packs and filter tips are to some extent biodegradable, and we are currently carrying out research to ensure more rapid breakdown.

- British American Tobacco’s Web Site 2001

Tobacco Company Tobacco Company PRPR

Program widely touted to media

No advertisement of program

No product packaging

No mass media

No information on web site

Tobacco Company PRTobacco Company PR

Programs limited to a few small communities

No product packaging

No mass media

Solicits PR collaboration with non-profits hungry for corporate dollars

Shows clean cigarette, rather than used butts

De-normalizing De-normalizing SmokingSmoking

Littering is not normal For the majority of

smokers, smoking is linked with littering

Continuously reminding smokers of this connection will lead to reduced littering and/or reduced smoking

Flicking butts will no longer be part of the rebellious image

Increasing MediaIncreasing Media

Providing Incentives to QuitProviding Incentives to Quit

“Hey,

Thanks for letting me know what a cigarette does.  It’s been helping me to quit smoking. After I read this I haven’t smoked for a week and two days!!

Thanks a lot.”

Case Study: Case Study: Building CoalitionsBuilding Coalitions Morristown Clean CommunitiesMorristown Clean Communities

How to Implement a Cigarette How to Implement a Cigarette Litter Awareness ProgramLitter Awareness Program

Start with a press release to generate interest

Take advantage of volunteers

Piggyback on existing programs/efforts

Communicate with government agencies

Use cigarette litter information when necessary or appropriate during general tobacco control activities

Use cleanups & contests to energize youth, attract media

Encourage cigarette retailers to sell pocket ashtrays

SummarySummary Incorporating a

cigarette litter awareness program will boost your local tobacco control efforts.

Effective programs are inexpensive and do not have to be resource intensive

You will gain added credibility within your community

Question and Answer SessionQuestion and Answer Session

                                                                  

Tobacco Control Tobacco Control Resource Center, Inc.Resource Center, Inc.

TCRC, a non-profit organization based at Northeastern University School of Law, provides legal, technical, research and training support for regulatory and litigation-based initiatives to control the sale and use of tobacco as a public health strategy.

TCRC serves as a national research clearinghouse, providing information to federal, state, and local officials throughout the United States. TCRC is a founding member of the new national Tobacco Control Legal Consortium which seeks to foster communication and cooperation among attorneys and tobacco control advocates on legal matters relating to tobacco control and to share legal resources.

Contact TCRC at 617-373-2026 or www.tplp.comContact TCRC at 617-373-2026 or www.tplp.com

CVW is a state-wide, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving the cleanliness and quality of Virginia's waterways by promoting citizen stewardship. An independent organization, CVW is housed at Longwood University (Department of Natural Sciences) in Farmville, Virginia.

CVW is recognized by the Ocean Conservancy as the formally sanctioned State Coordinating Body for International Coastal Cleanup, held annually in September.

The annual International Coastal Cleanup is the world's largest volunteer effort to collect data on the aquatic environment on land and underwater.

CigaretteLitter.OrCigaretteLitter.Orgg

CigaretteLitter.Org is an informal, non-profit organization dedicated to dramatically reducing cigarette litter across the United States. CigaretteLitter.Org’s goal is to accomplish this task by raising public awareness of the issue and educating communities about the facts regarding cigarette litter.

CigaretteLitter.Org wants to form a network of smokers and non-smokers, individuals and businesses, non-profit and government organizations, local police and fire departments, and anyone else who shares its goal of a national landscape free of cigarette litter.