Question for cigarette smokers

Is it only cigarette butts you find? Because not all cigarette smokers behave that way, but then again, the people throwing cigarettes away are probably also not concerned about throwing litter away.

I once had enlightening experience in London. Many people in the city just threw away their stuff after having finished their take away drinks or meals or packages and cigarettes, and I was surprised by this, but then at short before dawn, people came to clean up the whole public area, and since there are people cleaning up after them, they do not mind, as they "know", it will be clean again.

I currently live in Berlin (Germany) and am astounded by the many people leaving their stuff behind in the park after having a barbecue or little party, but then again, it gets cleaned afterwards.

Therefore, if no one would clean those public spaces and the litter would amass and amass, they might one day realise, that those litter boxes hanging almost everywhere are there for a reason.

Anyway, what I was going to say, it has almost nothing to do with smokers, it is the attitude of those people throwing away their stuff without thinking that is also shared by smokers, but it is not limited to those.

I wouldn't throw butts into people's property, but in public places it becomes almost too easy just to drop and walk over it. I don't smoke in my car anyway, so I guess I wouldn't throw one out of the window whilst driving.

Mac'nCheese said:

I hear you, other people do litter. But in my town, it's pretty litter free. We have public garbage and recycling cans everywhere but people still toss their butts all over the place. On my walk from my car today to work, the ground was littered with butts and no other garbage. And there's a place to put your butts at the front of the building! But cars have ash trays too and that doesn't stop people from throwing their butts out the window.

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Actually, most new cars do not have an ashtray.

I can't speak for the smokers as I am not one myself, but I think this question could go even deeper than that and be treated as littering in general.

One thing, that is similar to cigarette butts, that really annoys me is people not picking up after their dogs. It can be really harmful to other dogs to even smell a sick dogs feces. I have two poop bags in my pocket right now just in case I forget to take one when I take my dog for a walk.

**** the cigarette butts. I really can't stand the people who think its ok to dump their fast food bags in parking lots.

Use to smoke cigs, switched to a pipe years ago.
Tossing butts isn't that big of a deal, they entirely
biodegrade in a very short time anyway.

Ever wonder where all the rubber off trucks and
cars tires goes? I mean, where are the piles off
spent rubber along the highways?

There have been dozens of occasions where I've seen a smoker empty his/her ashtray right onto a parking lot, or the evidence of it recently having been done. While the car is parked, mind you.

I have never, not a single time, seen anyone throw any other kind of trash so brazenly out the car window into the parking lot.

Yes, there's more to litter than just cigarette butts, but there seems to be some kind of sentiment that it's "okay" to throw butts on the ground, that it's not litter. Those people are wrong, IMO.

They way I see it, someone who's gonna litter is gonna litter regardless if they're a smoker or not. I see just as many chewing gum litter as cigarette butts. The only reason I don't find cigarette butts stuck to the underside of benches is because they don't stick.

BTW, I don't smoke. But I do chew A LOT of gum, 2 packs a day. That's probably the reason why I never have time to kick (_!_). Oh, I throw my used gum in the trash. If one isn't handy, I wrap it in the next gum's wrapper and pocket it until I can dispose of it properly. It irks me to no end to have to scrap chewing gum from my shoe.

As for me, when I am on campus I always use the little black butt dispenser things. Thats what they are made for. You wouldn't believe the amount of butts that are on the ground not even 2 feet away from those things. It blows my mind. I try to be as considerate as possible because I know nobody (including smokers) wants to walk around with a bunch of cig butts on the ground. With that said, if there isnt a dispenser around me anywhere while I am walking to class or something I just throw them on the ground but I throw them as far away from foot traffic as possible. I mean there really isnt another option. Nobody is just going to hold on to their cig butts. Its just not going to happen. The only time I am really just not caring at all is when I am driving. I just throw them out wherever. Im sure as hell not going to leave burnt out cigs in my truck. Overall, I try to be thoughtful of the people around me because lets be honest here, cig butts on the ground is just really trashy.

EDIT: As far as littering, I just don't do it. I always use a trash can because it already sucks for the person who has to pick that stuff up anyways and it's completely unnecessary. I just find a trash can.

Mac'nCheese said:

Promise not to judge you or get into a argument over this with you (can't speak for others of course). Please answer as honestly as possible. Why do some of you think it's ok to throw your butts on the ground, the street, my lawn, out your car windowd. Is there any though involved or is it just a habit with no thought whatsoever? And now that you are thinking about it, does it change your mind about littering at all or do you realize that when you complain about prices going up due to new taxes, people simply don't care about your rights since this is how some of you act? Ok, little judgement there but That's it. Thanks in advance for your honest answers. (And a few jokes. I don't mind a few jokes)

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I'm a smoker and I don't throw my butts anywhere outside..

It sounds like you're putting all smokers in the same category just like everybody else.

Do you ever drive down a freeway and see plastic bottles or trash ?

Let's see how this sounds (with my edits):

tktaylor1 said:

...I know nobody wants to walk around with a bunch of empty Starbucks cups on the ground. With that said, if there isnt a trash can around me anywhere while I am walking to class or something I just throw them on the ground but I throw them as far away from foot traffic as possible. I mean there really isnt another option. Nobody is just going to hold on to their empty cups. Its just not going to happen. The only time I am really just not caring at all is when I am driving. I just throw them out wherever. Im sure as hell not going to leave empty coffee cups in my truck.

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Why is one okay but the other isn't?

(hint: neither is okay)

EDIT: As far as littering, I just don't do it.

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Um, yes, you do.

As for cigarette butts thrown on the ground by smokers walking around. I'd say part of the problem is there are no ash trays around to put it in like there used to be. They aren't going to throw them in the trash and risk starting a fire or stuff them in their pockets. It used to be that many city trash cans had an ash tray on top or beside them. Along with just about every business having an ash tray in front.

In new cars you have the same problem. They don't make them with ash trays so a smoker doesn't have as many options. There is also so much anomosity towards smoking that smokers want to keep the odor to a minimum. Thus they throw it out the window rather than leave it to marinate.

So I'd say part of the littering problem is influenced by the vehement anti-smoking rhetoric. Which has made smokers try to hide their habit and the politically correct removal of public receptacles for placing a butt. Given how much extra money in taxes smokers pay shouldn't they at least get ash trays? Gas taxes pay for roads.

When I smoked my vehicle had an ash tray so it didn't matter nor did I care if my car smelled of cigs just about everyone I knew then smoked. When walking around I'd usually just flick it out and roll it up to make absolutely sure it was out before throwing it in the trash. But I always felt a bit pensive throwing it out. Preferring to use a public restroom to flush it if I need to go.

velocityg4 said:

There is also so much anomosity towards smoking that smokers want to keep the odor to a minimum. Thus they throw it out the window rather than leave it to marinate.

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lol you really think the odor is gone by simply throwing away the cig outside the window.

Mac'nCheese said:

I'm glad to hear that you don't. I made a point of writing "some of you" in my op. of course, I see plastic bottles and trash on highways. Doesn't how that changes anything.

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My point was you are questioning smokers about throwing butts on the ground while just an many non-smokers throw trash all around..It's the same concept.

I can't believe people still smoke. I'm 61 years old and never smoked a cigarette in my life. BTW, smoking killed my mother. Personally hate it and will not hang out with people who do. Just ranting, sorry!

Mac'nCheese said:

I doubt just as many non-smokers throw trash all around. There would be trash everywhere is almost every single person just threw trash on the ground. But, and let's be honest, most smokers do throw their butts on the ground. There is zero trash on the ground where I work but tons of butts. I see cigs thrown out of cars all the time, hardly ever see someone throw out trash.

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Yet you still see it..

And there are a lot more non-smokers than there are smokers.

Unless you think the trash that's thrown out is done by smokers.

As a reluctant, regretful smoker who wants to quit but still hasn't worked up the willpower to do so, I rarely ever throw my butts on the ground. They either go into the ashtray, or if I'm out and about, rub the cherry against concrete to make sure it's out completely, test it with my fingers, then throw it in the trash.

Mac'nCheese said:

Yes you do see it. And I don't think that only smokers throw other trash on the ground. But you're right, there are a lot more non-smokers yet I still see so many butts...sometimes I wonder if anyone throws them out properly (I do know one poster here said he tries but he blames us. If we didn't get rid of ashtrays in cars and in public, he'd be able to do the right thing. Don't blame us dude, you can still dispose of them properly if you cared to).

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I agree. My car has no ash tray so I use a water bottle partially filled up and in a cup slot in my console for butts. Every week I dispose of it in the trash.