Throwing Out Cigarette Butts IS Littering
Nov 16th, 2006 by What's Gotta Go
Why is it that smokers (in general) think that sharing their butts with the world is ok? Do they really believe that tossing a freshly completed cancer stick out the car window is not littering? Every time I see someone do this, I feel like driving up next to them and tossing any available garbage through their car window. Can you imagine the shock on their face when I land a shot in their back seat with a half drunk Big Gulp and a banana peel?
I do have a theory about why this habit is so prevalent. People who smoke, for whatever reason, have chosen to completely ignore all the health risks related with this nasty habit. If you can’t tell, I am not worried about offending any readers that might happen to be smokers. You know it, we all know it – smoking is nasty and carries with it an earlier death sentence in life. You have obviously dealt with this issue in some manner and chose to ignore it. My theory is that smokers have learned not to care/respect their own health/body, so therefore they begin to not care about anyone else’s.
My same theory extends to the second hand smoke situation. Hey, I don’t have a pack of my own, so there’s a pretty darn good chance I don’t want to inhale your byproduct. When I am camping I don’t snuggle up to the campfire and inhale deep breaths of smoke for the pure enjoyment of it. I used to be more timid about responding when people asked if I mind if they smoke. Usually I was tolerant and just distanced myself. I learned this response from a friend. They ask “Mind if I smoke?” I respond, “Mind if I fart?” Crude, but this typically gets the point across.
I am really curious as to the rationalization smoker’s who do this have for the littering habit. Do they figure they pay enough taxes on their smokes that it should cover the crews needed to clean up after their droppings? Is this their little way of getting back against the world for coming down on them all the time? Still upset that laws are being passed to limit where they can light up? Do they just care less?
Littering in general bugs me, but smokers doing it just goes over the threshold of my tolerance. You have an ashtray in your car, and there are waste receptacles all over every major city. They are there for a purpose. Oh, and while I’m at it, smoking DOES cause cancer and YES, it is a disgusting habit. Sorry, no pulling punches on this one.
Jeremy,
Hats off to you for bringing up this subject. I couldn’t agree more… My wife and I work from home and we had to hire an employee. He was a smoker. FINE I’m all for equality and I won’t NOT hire someone because they smoke even though as you mentioned, it is pretty disgusting…
Anyhow, we requested that he smoke outside. When you tell someone this, what does that normally mean? 1) We don’t smoke 2) We don’t smoke therefore we don’t want to deal with anything related to smoking.
What does the guy do? He smokes on our porch (which was fine I guess) and throws the butts all over the ground in front of it!! This is where all of our guests come to enter our house. This is where WE walk through to get into our house.
What was he thinking?? Needless to say my wife was the one to tell him that there is a butt can in the corner (which we put there for a friend who occasionally visits). My wife only asked that he dump it out regularly so the smell doesn’t stink up the joint know what I mean?
What does he do? We throws butts into it without emptying it regularly, and it causes a little mini butt fire… he runs into the house (leaves the door open) and grabs a cup of water and douses it out… it starts smoking and the smoke comes into the house!!! He then (get this) panics and dumps the can onto the ground to stomp it.
I mean really… c’mon now. You’re an employee and guest in my house. You bet your boots if I chewed gum all day and dumped the wrappers in the front seet of his car, wouldn’t he be upset? Idiot.
I’m not sorry for saying this either… smoking has got to be the single most disgusting annoying habit on the entire planet bar none.
Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their bodies.
I will NEVER understand a smoker..NEVER!!! WHY in the world would anyone want this bad habit that gives you?
bad breath
yellow teeth
smelly clothes
more colds and coughs
difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports
empty wallet – cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive
I get sick to my stomach when I smell cigarette smoke on someone. PEOPLE if you smoke and that is your choice please do US NON SMOKERS A FAVOR…STAY AWAY FROM THE NON SMOKERS…IT STINKS!!!
I couldn’t agree more. People will be traveling 70 mph on the highway and let a lighted cigarette fly out their window!
Another thing that really bugs me is smokers who choose to ignore the “smoking area” signs and smoke away from those areas. Where I work, there are smoking areas designated outside in one area of the parking garage, away from the elevator banks. But when it’s too cold outside for these diehard smokers, who just have to go outside for a smoke, they will smoke right by the elevator banks and ignore the smoking area which is only 10 feet away. So when I get off the elevator and step into the parking garage, I have to hold my breath until I get away from them. (Of course I let them see me hold my breath!) Why do they think it is ok for everyone else to inhale their cancer sticks??!
My daughter is a smoker, and I hate it!
In Wisconsin and Illinois, we still have many restaurants that have a “smoking section”. Here’s my question: When you ask to be seated in the non-smoking area, why is it that the host or hostess WALKS YOU THROUGH THE SMOKING SECTION to get to the non-smoking section? What in the “oh my heck” is that about?! No, I’m not from Utah, just thought I’d throw that in. Or they seat you over a 12″ wall where the smokers are. I say, “Excuse me, but we asked for non-smoking.” It floors me when they say, “This is the non-smoking section”, as Smoky the Bear blows his smoke over into my face! Why can’t Wisconsin and EVERY STATE have no smoking in restaurants? We’re even getting many lounges that are going no smoking. All the restaurant owners in Chicago are fighting City Hall over a proposal that all restaurants and any lounge (bar) that serves food should be 100% no smoking. People claim they have a right to spread carcinogens to other people who don’t want them.
My husband’s mother smokes. I won’t go to her house. She has to come to mine if she wants to see me, which isn’t common anyhow–wonder why? Anyway, when he goes to see her, and he walks in our house, I become an enraged bi-polar freaked out witch! I cannot be within 15 feet of him when he comes home from seeing his mother. I can barely stand it when he sits on the furniture, and he had better NOT come to bed without showering. Last night, our bedroom smelled awful.
I love people, and if you smoke, that’s your business. It doesn’t cause me to love you less. I just hate your habit, and I wish you would stop or at least not smoke around me.
Here’s a suggestion.
I read an article where it suggests to take chalk & write….”Not An Ashtray”!
Yikes! Just a thought. A lot of people who smoke — and toss their butts — do a lot of good things for a lot of people in the world. They give their time and their money and their hearts to help others. Doing genuine good. To generalize, to stereotype, every smoker as someone who doesn’t care about others is way too similar to the thinking of the KKK, Skinheads, and even, my friend, Hitler. Get a grip on yourself and your hate. You think? Some people to crappy things. Some people do good things. Some people do both. To judge somebody (anybody…any race, any creed, any color) solely by what some do is stupid, shallow and really creepy. By the way, I think those Skinheads have an organization you might want to join. They don’t (and here comes that often-used rationale when the truly ignorant want to make a stupid point) “pull any punches” either when it comes to spreading stereotypes for hate.
Looks like we struck a nerve with Mark here. First, I fail to see how our fun complaining here rivals the sentiments of the KKK or Skinheads. Second, it’s a hard comparison to make out littering smokers to oppressed minority groups. Sorry, no sympathy is to be found here or most anywhere I can think of. That aside, lighten up Mark, and if the complaints hit a little too close to home, perhaps there is something to work on here.
As for smokers being bad people all around, of course not. For those friends I have that smoke, I still call them friends. I give them friendly ribs about the nasty habit all the time, but they are still friends.
“My theory is that smokers have learned not to care/respect their own health/body, so therefore they begin to not care about anyone else’s.”
Quoting Jeremy here.
Those who smoke “begin to not care about anyone else’s” (referring to health/body). That’s the thinking I’m talking about. It’s shallow. It’s wrong. And the next time someone sees a smoker, any smoker, will they think there’s a person who doesn’t care about anybody else?
And yep, it’s precisely the same voice used by others who want to spread their own way of thinking. Placing entire groups of people into one category.
Everybody who is or does or thinks or believes (fill in the blank) is bad.
Nerve stuck. Mos def.
Oh for {goodness} (note: edited) sake, don’t we all know the man isn’t talking about “every single smoker in the entire world”? Isn’t it pretty much a given that he’s using a generalization…like pretty much the entire population does or will do at some point in their life? If it is so offensive to you then insert the word “some” before you read the word “smokers” and get over it.
“Some people to crappy things. Some people do good things. Some people do both. To judge somebody (anybody…any race, any creed, any color) solely by what some do is stupid, shallow and really creepy.” What I would like to point out here is the last sentence…”To JUDGE somebody……soley by what some DO is STUPID, SHALLOW, AND CREEPY.” Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this statement? Perhaps, my friend, you should get a grip on YOURSELF.
“That’s the thinking I’m talking about. It’s shallow. It’s wrong. And the next time someone sees a smoker, any smoker, will they think there’s a person who doesn’t care about anybody else?” Okay, don’t be ridiculous. Oh sure, just because I read the man’s opinion I’m going to think that a smoker, any smoker, doesn’t care about anybody else *insert dripping sarcasm*. Most of the people who read this are not little sheep, wouldn’t you agree?
I hate cigarette smoke and I hate it when cigarette butts are thrown on the ground – it’s rude and disrespectful – just like the man here is saying. Do you disagree? Or are you perfectly fine to sit amongst cancer causing agents being exhaled into the air which you breathe? Are you fine to see someone throw cigarette butts on the ground? Perhaps, you are.
I, on the other hand, am not. Like it or go to hell….I don’t really care which.
My comments refer to the writer of the rant, not an entire group. So first and foremost, “baaa!”
I think I’ll go to hell now!
Well obviously you are smoking something. Because not all cars have ashtrays. At least my 2007 Prius doesn’t. Obviously you don’t drive one. Otherwize you would know this. So what are you doing for pollution? Well than, I guess this makes you a hypocrite. You should think before you rant. Some cigarette buts are biodegradable as well. Another observation you missed. Please do research before you rant. Look at all the people you brought down your rightous path. I am sure they really appreciate you now. :)”’
Insight from a smoker:
I smoke and yes its not the most pleasant smell , but I don’t throw my cigarette butts on the ground or litter at all in fact. I exercise and can run for longer than my 17 year old bother. I eat right, rarely eating fried foods. I havent eaten pork or beef for over 12yrs. So I respect my body but nobodys perfect, we all have are vises. I have influenced others not to litter, I guess after a length of time they felt guilty for littering in front of me and then completely stopped all together. Now I dont think its right for all the bars and restaurants to be now non-smoking. I can respect you don’t want smoke blown in your face or around you but respect the fact that its my right to smoke as well. I don’t know what the right answer is there, but it seems to me that the smokers are getting the bad end of the deal here. Maybe there should be an equal amount of places: some for smokers and some for nonsmokers. They passed the law here in fort worth to go into effect in Jan. that you can’t smoke in restaurants, bars or any business. I think thats ridiculous and extremely unfair. There have been restaurants here for years that don’t have a smoking section and I simply don’t eat there if I can’t smoke. But now I will be force to stay home if I want to smoke and enjoy a meal or a drink. This is unfair to the business owners too who will lose a lofty amount of sales.
“They passed the law here in fort worth to go into effect in Jan. that you can’t smoke in restaurants, bars or any business. I think thats ridiculous and extremely unfair.”
So, it’s fair that I can’t sit in the bar of my favorite restaurant if I want to relax just like everybody else, but don’t want to smell smoke that I find disgusting and end up smelling like an ashtray?
Why should I go elsewhere? Why not smokers? Face it, there are more places TO smoke than NOT to smoke – like your home, your car, and practically the entire outside world.
I don’t understand why some smokers think they own bars, or that since there is already air pollution, a “little more” won’t hurt, or that driving a hybrid buys them points they can use to be obnoxious in other ways.
Face it, if smoking were something that were invented today, it would be banned immediately in almost all countries, and rightly so. It’s disgusting, obnoxious, rude, inconsiderate, and downright unhealthy to the smoker and those around him to smoke in public.
The fact that for so long the majority has looked the other way does not alter the fact that changes for the majority that promote public safety are long overdue.
I agree totally disposing of cigarette butts any place is littering,
Since I am physically disabled & not supposed to bend lift etc , picking up other peoples litter on my property is as if I am assualted by passive aggressive stuff , any way cleaning has to get done.
I must clean the street in front of my home constantly it amazes me that someone deliberately throws cigarette butts in front of my home all the time, this makes me wonder what the heck is wrong with this person ,the ash tray in the car is not useful when they pass my house. Why is it ? Does it bother them that I keep my property kept up, yeah I’d like to spend my time doing something other than picking up litter too !
Its gross and disgusting to clean up after someone and a cigarette butt that been in someone else’s mouth is the grossest thing to need to clean up next to the poop people leave every where from walking the dogs.
Awesome blog post, thanks for tweeting the link!
What makes it worse in many areas (like Arizona) there is often wildfires in the summer. I see people throwing their butts out the window in town, and it annoys me because I know that habits don\’t turn on and off very easily. When this same person drives up north out of town, they\’re prone to also throw the cigg butt out the window and who knows if it\’s really out.
There you go another fire with smoke for all.
Thanks for playing!
I smoke a brand of cigarretes that I know for a fact are bio-degradeable. I toss my butts out my car window, doesn’t hurt anyone. Its not rude, its a small piece of material that dissapears into nothing after a few weeks. I think chain-smoking is disgusting, but I enjoy them at a more leisurely pace (If I didn’t hand out so many to my friends It would take me almost a week and a half to go through a pack, maybe longer). You all talk like smokers are the devil and your better than me because you don’t smoke?. I don’t smoke cause im addicted, infact I’ve gone weeks at a time without smoking simply because I didn’t want to spend the money on them at the time. Quitting smoking is easy, most people in this world have so little will power though… so apprently they are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. I smoke because it enjoy the buzz they give me and they put me in a small moment of deep relaxation that non-smokers don’t know about. Although I agree some people just smoke too much and probably should re-consider the health risks.
Well I must agree with most of you. Smoke if you want it is your right. Littering is not your right!! If you must smoke, keep your butts with you!!
If you are on Facebook, check this out:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46138458316
Throwing out cigarette butts is most definitely littering and what’s even worse, is it’s extremely dangerous!! It’s not a matter of whether or not your specific brand of ciggies is biodegradeable or not. That doesn’t make any difference as firefighters are working desperately to put out a forest fire or brush fire that was started due to someone carelessly tossing out a cigarette butt. Nor does it make any difference as the car behinds you loses control and wrecks because the lit cigarette butt that you toss out your window ends up flying through their window and into their lap.
And to those who claim their car doesn’t have an ashtray, yes today, they are often optional, but if you smoke, it’s beyond irresponsible if you don’t have it. And yes, you can even buy one for a 2007 Prius.
i hate seeing any rubbish being thrown out the window, oh, are we only allowed to complain about cigarette butt throwers? Sure they have the added risk of causing fires, but lets not ignore the fact that any littering is disgracefull. I wonder though if those cigarette butt throwers will just as easily discard an empty chippie packet out the window or is there some sort of “belief” that cigarette butts are not really litter?
Jeremy,
So glad to know I’m not the only one that this drives crazy! In fact, I wrote my own rant about it just recently on my blog: http://www.parentheticallyspeaking.wordpress.com. Let’s help spread the word: People who throw their cigs out inappropriately are buttheads!