Cigarette litter is a huge problem for much of the world. While there are set-up cigarette disposal receptacles, it appears that it is easier to simply discard the butt onto the ground. Cigarette pollution happens pretty much everywhere, from city streets to pristine national parks and other touristy hotspots. When I traveled to Greece two summers ago, I was shocked at the number of people who appeared to have no regard for national landmarks. The steps leading up to the Acropolis were littered with cigarette butts. When I went hiking in Yellowstone National Park, cigarettes littered the parking lots leading to and from natural hiking trails. These cigarette butts ultimately end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans where toxic chemicals leech into the water. Marine animals have also been known to consume these cigarette butts, mistaking them as a source of food only to end up choking to death. The cigarette itself is not biodegradable, so it can remain in an environment for years to come.

While there are rules and legislation regarding littering across much of the world, it is hard to catch people in the act. This makes punishing those responsible difficult, and different laws across various states and countries weight this punishment differently, ranging from a minimal fine to actual jail time.

Worldwide, there is an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts discarded as waste every year. Considering the amount of cigarette pollution worldwide, I think harsher fines and punishments must be implemented. Take Illinois, for example. This state has made it illegal to throw cigarette butts onto the ground. For those caught littering, a $1500 fine will be imposed on them. Cities across the United States are also taking action to curb butt liter, including Key West in Florida - people who discard their butts on the streets or on the beach could face a $100 dollar fine and/or up to 60 days in jail.

I asked Alicia Coto, Cornell class of 2019, about her stance on imposing harsher rules and regulations to help curb cigarette litter. She said, “I think that raising cigarette fines is a good idea. Because smokers already have to fund their cigarette habits, imposing a larger fine would surely encourage the proper disposal of cigarette butts. Considering that the average smoker spends anywhere between 1500-2500 dollars on cigarettes a year, a fine that size [as in Illinois] would be someone’s whole year worth of cigarettes, just for refusing to properly dispose of a butt. I think if more states imposed a fine that large, people would take notice. The prospect of jail time for first-time offense would surely get litterer’s attention – who wants to do jail time for something that requires very minimal effort from their part?”

I would have to agree with Alicia! Properly disposing of your cigarette butt is a relatively minor thing that prevents relatively large issues for both land and aquatic ecosystems. Do your part and dispose of those butts properly!