Replies

I'd say I'm surprised by that statement -- especially from a FReeper -- but nothing surprises me any longer. Somehow, folks from all walks of life seem to find justification for unacceptable behavior.

I don't know how you got that from what I wrote. Options are options. Their "unacceptability" is dependent not on whether the option is feasible, but is rather a matter of law, regulation or custom and how the combinations of those add up in comparison to other options.

I sympathize with having to pick up butts. I have to do it too - I live on a corner in front of a stop light. I'd argue it's even worse for me, since every one I pick up makes me want to buy a pack of cigarettes and pick up the habit again.

But, just for a second, put yourself in the position of a smoker. You're addicted. Yes, you knew it would happen, but that doesn't change the fact that you are. You need a cigarette. Yes, you read that right, you need it. Just as surely as a heroin or crack addict needs it, except tobacco is still legal and still subsidized by your tax dollars.

You can't smoke indoors anywhere except maybe at home if you own the place and you're single. But for the vast majority of people, most of your waking hours are spent at work or driving to/from work. You can't smoke outside in most places. Those places you can smoke are generally on the sidewalk near some out-of-the-way doorway, or a loading dock. These days, you often have to walk down to the corner so you're no longer on company property or near a doorway due to legal restrictions. Or you can smoke in your car - of course not on company property or even in many public places.

Once you've finished your cigarette, what do you do with the butt? Firstly, you have to be exceptionally careful that you extinguish it unless there's a proper ash tray around (chances of which are between slim and none in 21st century America). You can't squeeze it between your fingers, or use your clothes. The only practical place is to drop it on the ground and crush it with your shoe. But that's only enough to put it out - that's not enough to make it safe to put near other flammable material.

So what do you do with it?

Well, you can't put it in your pocket. It will make your clothes smell even worse than they do when you smoke and it is certain that someone will complain. Plus if it isn't completely out you'll burn a hole in your pocket. You can't carry it anywhere indoors, and most places outdoors. Having the thing in your hand, lit or not, is enough for you to be violating smoking laws/rules/regulations or generate a complaint from someone. You can't throw it in a trash receptacle unless you are absolutely certain that it can't start a fire - and the only way to do that is to have a source of water present. The only place where there are trash receptacles and water present, generally speaking, is inside a building, but good luck putting a cigarette butt in the trash there - someone will complain about the smell even if you put the thing in a zip lock bag (I've tried it). And here's a fun fact, soaking a butt in water makes it stink about 10x worse than when it's dry.

Even if you buy a decent ash tray, you won't be able to keep it outside - it will either be stolen, or your employer will not allow it (I've had both happen). If you bring an ashtray out with you, you won't be able to bring it back inside (because of the smell - even if you wash it - I tried). Even if you could use an ashtray, you still have to empty it somewhere.

Very few businesses besides retail have trash receptacles outside anyway of any sort, even if you did bring a bottle of water to soak the butt when you're done.

Frankly, if you do anything responsible with that butt, somebody, somewhere will complain - and loudly. It's sad but true that doing the least responsible thing generates the least amount of pushback from the general public. I don't know why it is, but it is.

Let's put this in perspective. Cigarette butts are biodgradeable (although the filters do take awhile). They aren't radioactive waste, or plastic bags, or even the nuisance that fallen leaves can be. Smokers aren't mugging you or robbing a bank to feed their habit. They aren't pushing it on your children to make a profit to support their habit. For the most part they can't stop smoking and they don't want to bother non-smokers.

But in our zeal to stop smoking (a zeal that we have yet to find for illegal substances, BTW) we have so marginalized smokers that they are in a near-impossible position. No matter how a smoker tries to accomodate the ever-expanding list of restrictions on smoking, it seems that someone, somewhere is P.O.d about them, whether merited or not. Of course, that's the point isn't it? We don't have the courage to make tobacco illegal. Well, when we've gone and made every option unacceptable, it shouldn't surprise anyone that smokers chose the least unacceptable one that allows them to feed their habit - and the least unacceptable option for disposing of a cigarette butt is to toss it on the ground. Compared to dropping it in the trash where it could cause a fire, it's actually more reponsible, sadly, at least in those places where the climate or landscape doesn't favor brush or forest fires.

I guess there are three ways to stop the butt dropping. The easiest would be to lighten up on the regulations that prevent smokers and their employers/guests from making some small accomodation to smokers to allow them to act responsibly. Good luck with that.

The hardest would be to just make tobacco illegal. Good luck with that.

The most likely will be some sort of crackdown on cigarette butt littering. without providing any other viable options. Since I'm not a smoker anymore, I'll be watching that likely outcome with bemused interest, especially as the incidences of trash fires and car fires mysteriously increase.

Since you feel so strongly about cigarette butt disposal, what is your suggestion for disposing of them since everywhere inside is off limits and everywhere outside is either not available, dangerous, or prohibited?

BTW, putting them in the ashtray of the car only delays most of the same problems to another time or place. You still can't empty that ashtray just anywhere, and if it gets too full, you can start a fire in your car - for most people, their most valuable or second most valuable asset. In a crowded parking lot/garage, you can bet it wouldn't just be one car that burned either.

I'm in my mid 40s. When I started smoking in my 20s, I never tossed a butt on the ground. There was always an ashtray or receptacle available, or I could just bring the butt inside, run it under a faucet and toss it in the trash. I stopped smoking several years ago, but by then it was already a fools errand trying to comply with the ever changing group of restrictions, and by then, I was in the same position most smokers are today where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I understand — I have a pesky eating habit, and I LOVE fish with garlic and onions — LOTS of ‘em, with stinky sauces and seasonings. And I usually wipe my hands on my pants.

Do you realize what cumin, curry, garlic, onions and fish do to a car, house or clothing? Or to me on a hot day when I sweat?! But I gotta eat, or I’ll actually DIE!

I don’t want to store the leftover food, stinky bags and wrappers in MY car — that’s disgusting, especially after it’s been there for a day or two. And can you imagine the field mice that will nest in my car after a while?! It’s a veritable buffet for them!

My coworkers don’t want to smell that stinky mess, so I can’t throw it in the trash at the office. It’s unbelievable what folks will complain about!

My wife can’t stand the smell either, so I can’t take the trash home. And if I do, the dog or cat may tip the can, and then it ends up all over my beautiful house. What a nasty mess! And, again, the mice and roaches... ugh! It’s a health hazard, for crying out loud!

My only option is to toss the garbage out the window...