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Eugene, OR 97401
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6
OCTOBER 13, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
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BY JOSHUA WELCH
Cigarette Butts
Don’t let smokers treat Eugene like an ashtray
articipating in a peaceful protest
in Eugene could get you slammed
to the pavement, shocked with
a taser and arrested. However, in broad
daylight, smokers can pepper the entire
city with cigarette butts without so much
as a citation being written.
Why should smokers be allowed to
break the law day in and day out? Why
should they be permitted to fl ick their
cigarette butts anywhere and everywhere?
Littering cigarette butts is disgusting,
disrespectful and irresponsible — why should
we tolerate it?
With smokers essentially having a license
to litter, it should be no surprise that cigarette
fi lters are the number one littered item in the
world. Smokers toss an estimated two billion
non-biodegradable cigarette fi lters per day. As
a result, these toxic tic-tacs are strewn throughout our neighborhoods,
parks, beaches and waterways.
While cigarette fi lters are relatively small, they pack a particularly
nasty punch. They’re made of a plastic called cellulose acetate and can
contain carcinogens, poisons and chemicals including benzopyrene,
formaldehyde, arsenic, lead, benzene, butane and ammonia. They take
decades to decompose, leaching their toxic load into the environment.
If we’re going to allow certain types of trash to be littered, it
probably shouldn’t be something that is prone to starting fi res. With
dwindling economic and natural resources and wildfi res wreaking havoc
across the nation, continuing to give smokers the green light to litter is
clearly negligent.
Last session, Eugene’s state Senator “Pink” Floyd Prozanski
sponsored Senate Bill 607 targeting littered cigarette fi lters, which
never gained enough support to pass. I applaud his efforts, but Eugene
doesn’t need new legislation to hold offenders accountable. Littering is
a Class C misdemeanor. The maximum penalties are 30 days in jail and
a $1,250 fi ne. We could clean up our fair city and create a little revenue
while we’re at it by simply enforcing the law.
The Eugene Police Department could carry out periodic anti-
littering blitzes similar to past seat-belt enforcement campaigns.
Approximately 80 percent of Australians think that smokers should be
fi ned for littering. I suspect as many if not more Eugeneans agree. A
little bit of strategic enforcement could go a long way in cleaning up
Eugene and getting smokers to kick the habit.
Parking control offi cers are in a unique position to ticket litterers.
Unfortunately, they aren’t currently authorized to do so. The state
Legislature could change the law, empowering them to issue littering
tickets while keeping cops free to deal with more urgent concerns.
While the EPD could certainly put a big dent in the litter stream
without anyone’s help, partnering with the City Council in a more
comprehensive approach would work best. If the Council decided to act,
The Victorian Litter Action Alliance of Victoria, Australia has provided a
great place to start.
The VLAA put together a “Litter Prevention Kit,” which is essentially
a manual for organizing and implementing an effective anti-littering
campaign. According to the VLAA, “The key to success for cigarette
butt litter prevention is developing an integrated campaign that tackles
the pervasive problem of cigarette butts through addressing the three
key program elements of education, infrastructure and enforcement.”
With virtually every other city in the country covered in butts, a serious
anti-littering campaign could distinguish Eugene as one of America’s
cleanest cities.
Another possibility would be to enlist the public. Oregon could
create something similar to Victoria’s public litter reporting system,
which enables citizens to report offenders fl icking their butts from their
vehicles. I’m confi dent there are thousands of Oregonians ready and
willing to help.
Whether you’re strolling downtown, hiking Spencer Butte or
splashing around Fall Creek, the cigarette butts are there with you. They
are there because as a society we’ve said it’s OK. Don’t you think it’s
about time that we stop permitting smokers to treat our home like their
personal ashtray?
P
Joshua Welch (joshuawelch@comcast.net) is a political writer, full-time dad and part-time lover.
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