[Garnet Dawn]

I agree that a pile of cigarette butts in a parking lot are any ugly offense, and that people should dispose of litter in receptacles. However, why should the litter complaints be limited to cigarette butts? An empty parking lot, public parks, beaches and other outdoor areas are usually littered with enough fast food bags and cups, empty pop bottles and cans, beer cans and other various litter that the cigarette butts are hard to detect. Littering is disgusting, no matter what form it takes. Large garbage cans are provided everywhere for paper, plastic and metal litter. The same is not true for smokers, as most outside ashtrays no longer exist.

All buildings are aware, with bans on indoor smoking, that smokers are going to have to extinguish their cigarettes before entering. The smokers are respecting the non-smoking laws by doing this. It shouldn't require rocket scientists to reach the logical conclusion that, if there are no ashtrays provided at entranceways, people are going to have to put the remainder of their cigarettes out on the ground. Generally, trash receptacles are provided but no ashtrays.

All litter is toxic. Styrofoam does not biodegrade. Paper is ugly. Food and beverage container litter draw bugs, rats and breed germs. All these items are killing wild and marine life, when disposed in our lakes, rivers and oceans. I think you'll find most smokers more considerate than the average litter bug, who has no excuse with multitudes of receptacles available.

Non-smokers' trash also belongs in the same category with feces. So, let's provide reasonable receptacles for everyone and ALL try to be more considerate. If necessary, let's fine ALL those who litter. Forget about our police enforcing the law anymore, let's make them all babysitters for the adults they are supposed to be protecting.

______________________________
Garnet Dawn - The Smoker's Club, Inc. - Midwest Regional Director
The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter - http://www.smokersclubinc.com
Illinois Smokers Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/illinoissmokers/
mailto:garnetdawn@comcast.net - Respect Freedom of Choice!

[annyokie]

Puff ping!

[spycatcher]

This is nothing that RFID chips can't fix.

[totherightofu]

Oh puhleez! We have ALL seen smokers flick their cigarette butts out of moving cars, dump the contents of their car ashtrays in the middle of parking lots, and just throw their cigarettes down wherever they happen to be when they're finished with them. There could be an ashtray on every streetcorner in America and this would still be a problem! Smokers are the *worst* litterbugs on the planet.

[Dan from Michigan]

I don't smoke ciggies, but my cigar butts go into an empty gatorade or Mtn Dew bottle if I'm driving.

Or an ash tray if I'm walking. I don't litter. I'm an outdoorsman.

[MarineBrat]

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.

[metesky]

All buildings are aware...

Sorry Garnet, but those buildings are aware of nothing. Like all inanimate objects, they just sit there.

[Allegra]

So let's catch all the butt litterers,

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.