Posted on 03/05/2005 6:41:32 PM PST by Garnet Dawn
Crack Down on Cigarette Litterbugs
Most people know that cigarette smoking can cause illness and careless smoking can cause burning of buildings, forests, animals and people.
But perhaps many don't know what damage is caused by the extinguished butts discarded anywhere into our environment. I hadn't known either until I read the article in the Feb. 17 Wausau Daily Herald entitled, "Toxic butts befoul outdoors." Lots of damage occurs. Please get a copy and read it. The other day I saw a pile of butts in a parking lot, left there by someone who emptied a car's ashtray. How can we stop this littering of cigarette butts? The perfect answer would be to stop the manufacture of cigarettes, but that will never happen.
So let's catch all the butt litterers, impose large fines, and the money collected can help to repair some of the damage caused to the environment. People are fined for not picking up dog feces, and I don't think that dog feces does damage to the environment. It's just messy and unsightly.
Alice Lenschmidt, Rib Mountain
It was not uncommon to be down at the river fishing and someone would show up with a 6-pack, toss everyone a beer and 30 minutes later be on his way, with a bed that had 6 empties in it.
Once enforced, They didn't end up in the bed. The fact is, even transporting the trash out of the area became defacto illegal. Stupid law.
I've been hit on the freeway by "burning garbage" thrown from cars several times while riding my motorcycle. It's something that's hard to forget.
Sorry Garnet, but those buildings are aware of nothing. Like all inanimate objects, they just sit there.
Catch all of them? You're going to be busy.
Sorry I can't help - I've got to go prepare the spotted owls I bagged this morning for the barbecue.
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