Why is it "OK" to throw cigarette butts on the ground?

Kintarō Hattori

Littering is disgusting full stop and it's suprising in these days that throwing away cigarette butts is socially acceptable. Isn't chewing gum banned in singapore? Perhaps we should consider doing the same here. I can imagine an outrage at such a proposal but if we aren't grown-up and responsible enough to dispose of these things properly then we don't deserve the privilage.

Having been in a few different european countries the people seem to have more respect for their surroundings and dispose of litter appropriately. I don't know why we can't do the same.

jusmeig

ojewriej wrote: »

My point is - this is no different than any other rubbish, so I don't see why pick up specifically on the smokers - it's hard enough to be one as it is.

And my point was - A drunk guy threw a bag of rubbish on the train tracks, and a guy beside me shook his head in disgust as he flicked his butt onto the track?!? I just don't understand it, its like butts are not being seen as rubbish? Its not an attack on smokers, as obviously not everyone throws their buts on the ground (unless there is a bus coming).

mikemac

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Littering is disgusting full stop and it's suprising in these days that throwing away cigarette butts is socially acceptable. Isn't chewing gum banned in singapore?

A chewing gum tax was proposed, around 5c for each pack afaik.
But the US companies have fantastic lobbying teams in Ireland and it was quietly dropped

beans

Recently (6 months) I've stopped throwing butts on the ground. If there's not one near, I hold in hand until I find one or stick it in a pocket.

It's not for everyone and I certainly didn't give a damn beforehand, but the non-sense of the whole thing struck me - "you make a point not to litter, but don't bat an eyelid when it comes to cigarette butts? What are you like?"

Makes me smoke less too!

ojewriej

jusmeig wrote: »

And my point was - A drunk guy threw a bag of rubbish on the train tracks, and a guy beside me shook his head in disgust as he flicked his butt onto the track?!? I just don't understand it, its like butts are not being seen as rubbish? Its not an attack on smokers, as obviously not everyone throws their buts on the ground (unless there is a bus coming).

That was one guy.

It's like with all the rubish - it's definitely not a cool thing to do, but if you are telling me that you've never dropped a piece of paper when you shouldn;t have, then I just don't believe you.

beans

if you are telling me that you've never dropped a piece of paper when you shouldn;t have, then I just don't believe you

Sure it makes no odds! It's not about what we've done or not done, it's about what we do when we leave the house today, and from now on

r3nu4l

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Having been in a few different european countries the people seem to have more respect for their surroundings and dispose of litter appropriately. I don't know why we can't do the same.

It's not just Ireland that has a problem with litter!! :eek:

BBC News

Also, having been to a number of European cities and countries I can safely say that there are litter and grafitti problems there too. Berlin is terrible as is the south of Italy. In many other European countries we simply notice the litter less because they employ more people to pick up litter than we do here. Sad but true.

EDIT: By 'here' I mean Ireland, I sometimes forget that I'm living in England *sigh*

Wishbone Ash

Moved to AH from Dublin City Forum.

Polar101

prendy wrote: »

this thread interest me as i live with a disgusting f**ker who never cleans but worst of all when he smokes(out the back of the house) he just throws the butt on the ground. theres an ash tray on the window but he seems to prefer the ground.

The person who lives above me prefers my patio.. charming. Not too thrilled about cleaning someone else's mess.

Sherifu

It's not acceptable in my opinion OP.

javaboy

Dataisgod wrote: »

While not ideal I do think this is fair enough. If you're willing to hold onto the butt until a bin turns up but with exceptional circumstances i.e. bus turns up not much you can do!

Exceptional circumstances? Who'd have thought a bus of all things might turn up at the bus stop I'm waiting at? :eek:

If you're not willing to stub the butt out and keep it with you until you can find a bin, don't smoke. I know plenty of smokers who I never see throw a butt to the ground. Why should there be special exemptions to littering rules for smokers?

Wibbs

Naw that's bad.

Rb

I'd never throw chewing gum or any rubbish on the ground, including the plastic wrapper on cigarette packs. Why? They're easy to hold on to until you're at a bin.

Cigarette butts, however, are not. If there's no bin around it's going on the ground, simple as.

In New York I was able to use a bin every time I had a cigarette because there was so many of them around. Unforuntately the same can't be said about any city in Ireland.

Things like cans, packets of crisps are all noticeable and therefore make the place look a state if left lying around our streets. Chewing gum is filthy as it sticks to our shoes and is harmful to animals. Cigarette butts, however, harm noone and unless they're in a large group are, for the most part, unnoticeable.

Mimikyu

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javaboy

Rb wrote: »

Cigarette butts, however, are not. If there's no bin around it's going on the ground, simple as.

In New York I was able to use a bin every time I had a cigarette because there was so many of them around. Unforuntately the same can't be said about any city in Ireland.

Sundy wrote: »

There isnt always a toilet around when i need to go but i never sh1t on the street

If you know there's not going to be a bin around, bring something with you to stow your butt until you find a bin or else don't smoke. Simple as.

javaboy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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Yeah maybe but I for one wouldn't be one of the ones complaining. I don't mind being around people who smell like smoke. I do have a problem with people littering and coming up with crappy excuses why they should be allowed get away with it.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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javaboy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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Why not bring a cigarette butt holder like this one around with you?

It's up to you to make sure you can smoke without littering. If the council haven't made enough bins available (which they haven't. I won't argue with that.) then work around the problem. Don't pretend littering is your only option. That's no better than someone who chews chewing gum spitting it on the ground when it has lost it's flavour.

Rb

javaboy wrote: »

If you know there's not going to be a bin around, bring something with you to stow your butt until you find a bin or else don't smoke. Simple as.

Nah.

If there's a bin around, I'll use it. If not, well then maybe the local county council should consider installing them as they'll be the one paying for it to be cleaned up.

Rb

javaboy wrote: »

That's no better than someone who chews chewing gum spitting it on the ground when it has lost it's flavour.

See my post above, it certainly is better. Little children, animals etc could pick up chewing gum which would be dangerous, it also gets stuck to peoples shoes.

Cigarette butts don't. Also, chewing gum comes with something to put it in after its lost its taste (i.e the silver wrapping), cigarettes don't.

javaboy

Rb wrote: »

Nah.

If there's a bin around, I'll use it. If not, well then maybe the local county council should consider installing them as they'll be the one paying for it to be cleaned up.

So what is it some kind of civil disobedience or something?

There's no good excuse for throwing your cigarette butt on the ground. I'm still waiting to hear one.

It seems a bit odd to me that almost everybody frowns on littering but cigarette butts seem to get some kind of special exemption.

javaboy

Rb wrote: »

See my post above, it certainly is better. Little children, animals etc could pick up chewing gum which would be dangerous, it also gets stuck to peoples shoes.

Cigarette butts don't. Also, chewing gum comes with something to put it in after its lost its taste (i.e the silver wrapping), cigarettes don't.

And is it beyond you to buy something to put your cigarette butt in?

j1smithy

Damomayo wrote: »

Its a disgusting habit and littering then only confirms that the ppl that smoke are ignorant of the ppl around them. Bad enough we have to put up with passive smoking outside without them littering as well. Keep increasing price of cigs i think IMO

(Rant over)

I couldn't agree more. In these lean times perhaps its time for another tax hike on the packet of cigs. Might help pay for our ailing health system which is clogged with smokers.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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Rb

javaboy wrote: »

So what is it some kind of civil disobedience or something?

There's no good excuse for throwing your cigarette butt on the ground. I'm still waiting to hear one.

It seems a bit odd to me that almost everybody frowns on littering but cigarette butts seem to get some kind of special exemption.

Cigarette butts are different to coke cans, crisp packets etc. and are certainly different to chewing gum. If you don't get that then meh, not my problem.

I know it's still littering but certainly not to the same extent.

I'd be much more concerned about the absolutely tragic amount of crap we're sticking in landfills every year, or those who still refuse to recycle, than people flicking cigarette butts around.

javaboy wrote: »

And is it beyond you to buy something to put your cigarette butt in?

Because they absolutely stink.

j1smithy wrote:

I couldn't agree more. In these lean times perhaps its time for another tax hike on the packet of cigs. Might help pay for our ailing health system which is clogged with smokers.

Wow another stupid comment from you today. How about we multiply the price of alcohol x2 to try to support the sheer amount of people who get addicted to it and destroy their lives, who end up homeless? How about to support the husbands and wives of abusive alcoholics who they have to deal with every night? How about to support the kids of abusive alcoholic children?

Oh but that wouldn't suit you, would it? Since I presume you like the odd pint or so?

Cigarette prices go up much more and there'll be a much larger black market of cigs from abroad, the government will lose out a huge amount of tax revenue and the health system will suffer massively.

You obviously know loads about the health system too :rolleyes:

javaboy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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Yeah it is weird all right. It seems to be socially acceptable even to a lot of non-smokers.

Rb

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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I'm leaning towards labelling it trolling, surely noone could really believe such tripe?

javaboy

Rb wrote: »

Cigarette butts are different to coke cans, crisp packets etc. and are certainly different to chewing gum. If you don't get that then meh, not my problem.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

I know it's still littering but certainly not to the same extent.

So you decide to what extent littering is ok?

I'd be much more concerned about the absolutely tragic amount of crap we're sticking in landfills every year, or those who still refuse to recycle, than people flicking cigarette butts around.

So would I. But I don't think that just because there are bigger problems, that we can use that as an excuse to ignore smaller ones.

Because they absolutely stink.

You can buy holders that are airtight and won't leak the smell out.

Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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Mimikyu

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galwayrush

I reckon assholes that throw their butts on the ground should be made eat them after a public flogging.

javaboy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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Honestly I don't know. I'd say you'd probably find them in some of the tobacco shops or general gadget/rubbish shops e.g. banana tree

j1smithy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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It is rather lonely up here, thats probably because I cannot see anyone beneath me due to a thick layer of smoke.

Back to the OP, cig butts are a problem, but bins aren't the solution apparently. On the way home on a night out I pass a few pubs, all with those today fm cig bins outside, yet the ground is still covered in them. Some people have no respect for our environment.

javaboy

j1smithy wrote: »

Back to the OP, cig butts are a problem, but bins aren't the solution apparently. On the way home on a night out I pass a few pubs, all with those today fm cig bins outside, yet the ground is still covered in them. Some people have no respect for our environment.

In fairness though not all smokers are that ignorant. It's a lot easier to see the butts that ended up on the ground than the ones that were put in the bin.

Mimikyu

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j1smithy

Solitaryman666 wrote: »

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Perhaps hold it in your hand until you find a bin? In Dublin, there is no shortage of receptacles for rubbish.[every 20 to 40m on the city centre] Not binning them is just laziness, plain and simple.

Mimikyu

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javaboy

In Dublin, there is no shortage of receptacles for rubbish.[every 20 to 40m on the city centre] Not binning them is just laziness, plain and simple.

Not binning them or finding some way to hang on to them until you can is laziness.

But it's ridiculous to suggest that there is no shortage of bins/receptacles in Dublin never mind anywhere else in the country.

j1smithy

javaboy wrote: »

Not binning them or finding some way to hang on to them until you can is laziness.

But it's ridiculous to suggest that there is no shortage of bins/receptacles in Dublin never mind anywhere else in the country.

Well I've yet to come across a county town in Ireland that lacks bins. or at a town in Ireland that lacks pubs and most pubs in my experience have those cig bins outside nowadays.

Mimikyu

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javaboy

j1smithy wrote: »

Well I've yet to come across a county town in Ireland that lacks bins. or at a town in Ireland that lacks pubs and most pubs in my experience have those cig bins outside nowadays.

Most of them will have bins all right but often not enough and some towns will have none of the cigarette friendly bins (although you can just stub it out thoroughly first and use the normal ones).

Terry

j1smithy wrote: »

It is rather lonely up here, thats probably because I cannot see anyone beneath me due to a thick layer of smoke.

Back to the OP, cig butts are a problem, but bins aren't the solution apparently. On the way home on a night out I pass a few pubs, all with those today fm cig bins outside, yet the ground is still covered in them. Some people have no respect for our environment.

Until I'm stopped by ManBearPig, I'll keep throwing them on the ground and I really don't give a flying fúck what any of you think of me for doing so.

Instead of complaining about the butts being thrown on the ground, go and petition the government to ban tobacco products altogether.

animaal

With issues like this, you really get both extremes of viewpoint. For every smug, tofu-eating environmentalist, there's a selfish, lazy, filthy, littering cnut.

Have to say, I'm leaning towards the tofu on this one.

Terry

animaal wrote: »

With issues like this, you really get both extremes of viewpoint. For every smug, tofu-eating environmentalist, there's a selfish, lazy, filthy, littering cnut.

Have to say, I'm leaning towards the tofu on this one.

The boys in the club love the fashion parade...

javaboy

Terry wrote: »

Until I'm stopped by ManBearPig, I'll keep throwing them on the ground and I really don't give a flying fúck what any of you think of me for doing so.

At least you're honest and not trying to justify it as some Ghandi-esque civil disobedience rubbish.

Instead of complaining about the butts being thrown on the ground, go and petition the government to ban tobacco products altogether.

Careful what you wish for. I'd say that could be coming down the pipeline before too long. I'm very anti-smoking but I don't want to see it banned. Regulation isn't always the solution.

animaal wrote: »

With issues like this, you really get both extremes of viewpoint. For every smug, tofu-eating environmentalist, there's a selfish, lazy, filthy, littering cnut.

Have to say, I'm leaning towards the tofu on this one.

Tofu and smoking are both manky. There's always a middle ground.

javaboy

Terry wrote: »

The boys in the club love the fashion parade...

I hate that ad.

Kintarō Hattori

ojewriej wrote: »

That was one guy.

It's like with all the rubish - it's definitely not a cool thing to do, but if you are telling me that you've never dropped a piece of paper when you shouldn;t have, then I just don't believe you.

Having grown up with parents who were involved in the local tidy towns I can tell you that I have never once intentionally dropped a piece of litter on the ground.

r3nu4l wrote: »

It's not just Ireland that has a problem with litter!! :eek:

BBC News

Also, having been to a number of European cities and countries I can safely say that there are litter and grafitti problems there too. Berlin is terrible as is the south of Italy. In many other European countries we simply notice the litter less because they employ more people to pick up litter than we do here. Sad but true.

EDIT: By 'here' I mean Ireland, I sometimes forget that I'm living in England *sigh*

Why bring up that story r3nu4l? Accept that we have a problem, as do other countries but lets try to deal with it. I'm aware other european cities can have a problem with litter but there IS in many places a healthier attitude towards the disposal of rubbish and we need to work on that here. It needs to be made absolutely unacceptable to dispose of your waste on the street.