Does anyone else hate it when cigarette smokers...

[Last Stand]

throw their butts out of their vehicles after they're finished? It's littering and it's disgusting, no different than a McDonald's meal being tossed out. Why do (many) smokers feel that this is perfectly OK? Most cars still come with ashtrays, so I don't think that this is the reason. I have no objection to people smoking in their cars if they want, but why is it too filthy to keep in the car but somehow reasonable to trash the streets and countrysides with?


No--this is not an anti-smoking post.


:rant:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Seriously?

You post this seriously?

[Last Stand]

7. Trashing the environment? Yeah.

[truedelphi]

75. There have been cases where someone's flung butt is still lit

And it gets caught in the back of someone else's pickup and ignites the pile of leaves or
the blankets for the dogs or whatever. (Especially if the pickup is parked, and the other car is speeding by.) It can really cause havoc, and not to the person who tossed the lit fag.

[grace0418]

96. Had one go into the back seat of my car on a busy highway. Luckily I saw it happen

and got to it before anything bad happened.

[truedelphi]

159. Oh mi gawd. That must have been very scarey.

Glad you were able to control the fire and also to not lose your attention to traffic.

[Qutzupalotl]

79. Out here in Oregon, the grass goes brown all summer.

One cigarette butt started a roadside fire just down the road from my house. NOT cool.

[hamsterjill]

100. Texas is in a drought

And we have red flag warnings almost daily here because the potential for grass fires is very high.

And yet I constantly see someone throw a cigarette butt out of a vehicle. Some people are just idiots. Some just don't give a damn. By the time the fire starts, they expect to be down the road.

It's sure a waste of our brave fire fighters who have to risk their lives for these types of things.

[cabluedem]

154. $ 300 dollar fine in California. Yeah, its wrong and it's illegal. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. No most cars don't come with ash trays anymore

[WI_DEM]

11. really?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

35. Yeah, LostinVA's VW doesn't have a cigarette lighter or ashtray

It's a 2006.

My 2003 Saab has one, but I don't think my mom's 2008 Saab does.

[NYC_SKP]

223. No tray in the Prius. Bastids.

No lighter either...

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. Yes really

and no lighters either.

[Debi]

62. Yeah - our 2001 Mountaineer had an 'optional' ashtray that had to be

purchased and placed in one of the cup-holder spots.

[proud2BlibKansan]

120. Honda wanted $80 for an ashtray

:wow:

[PVnRT]

170. Yes, really, especially foreign cars

My 2008 Civic has no ashtray or lighter, and neither did my 2002 Accord.

[MgtPA]

188. My 1998 Plymouth van doesn't have one.

[SidDithers]

43. Ashtrays and lighters are available ...

as an option on most cars and trucks.

Sid

[CreekDog]

124. which still makes it wrong to do

i assume we're in agreement.

[slackmaster]

183. Yet amazingly enough, after-market ash trays for cars are widely available and inexpensive

No excuse.

[EndersDame]

212. strip the cig and throw away the butt when you can

it is that easy from a fellow smoker

[TroglodyteScholar]

219. Yea, when I was a smoker....

I'd knock off the hotrock out my window, but keep the but until I could throw it away somewhere. I don't think that's too much effort.

[Toasterlad]

214. Just Bought a New 2008 Hyundai With a Standard Ashtray and Lighter.

It even has a separate "power outlet", so the lighter really does only serve one purpose. I guess it depends which manufacturer you're talking about.

[yodoobo]

215. Cars that don't have ashtrays don't have lighters

yet, the smoker still figured out a way to get that cigarette lit.

If they are smart enough to find an ignition source, then they are smart enough to find a place to put the ashes.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. Actually most cars do not come with ashtrays anymore. Or lighters.

But you are right that smokers should keep their butts to themselves.

[LisaM]

4. It used to be so much more common

My mother and I noted that a couple of years ago, when someone threw out a cigarette at night, and it bounced along, still lighted, for a minute. It startled us, and we remembered that 20 years ago we wouldn't have thought anything of it.

At least one fire was started in Washington a few years ago because of a lighted cigarette thrown from a car. They created an enormous fine (I don't know if it's still in effect) of over $1000 for it. So it does bother me, now, because I know it can cause fires and that the filter tips can hurt animals, but I never used to think twice about it.

[hlthe2b]

5. Beyond the fact they often start grass fires that way....

yeah, it is problematic.

[slackmaster]

185. In my area they get washed into storm drains and down to the bays and the ocean

Waves and currents concentrate them. You can always find piles of butts on the beaches after a storm.

[AlCzervik]

6. no most cars do not come with ashtrays anymore, i smoke and i have a newer car

that i do not smoke in, not just because it doesn't have an ashtray because i could get a kit for one of my cupholders, i just don't want my car to reek.

[cabluedem]

155. Use a "cupholder ashtray". They sell them cheap at most auto stores. n/t

[cobalt1999]

8. Try riding a motorcycle behind one of these careless idiots

Nothing like riding through a shower of sparks and cigarette smell.

[sailor65]

32. Amen

I can't even recall how many of those pieces of sh|t have hit me or nearly hit me with their butts.

[orleans]

101. i told a friend of mine that i was always very careful not to throw

cigarettes out the window whenever there was a biker around me or behind me.

he laughed his ass off.

"if they're gonna whine about getting dinged with a fucking ash then they shouldn't be riding to begin with."

and when i started riding with him i tended to agree.

and the smell? from a cigarette in someone's car?

you're kidding, right?

the wind messing up your hair and the bugs flying in your eyes and teeth must really drive you insane!

[cobalt1999]

110. Well, I guess that's one attitude.

I've had lit cigarettes him my jacket and with the airflow travel up to my helmet. Not fun.

I even had one lit butt fly up and lodge between my legs. Not fun (actually that was kind of funny afterward).

Yes, riding means experiencing bugs, rocks, rain, and wind along with the constant fun of car trying to kill you.

However, doesn't mean people can't take a little care not to attempt to set me on fire too.

Yes, I can smell it when going through a shower of cigarette ash. I can smell every dead animal, flowers, grass, cars, etc. but I don't smoke so I can still smell the world.

[applegrove]

9. I was guilty of that when I smoked.

[WI_DEM]

10. Yes, it's a pet peeve. I see it happen all the time.

I edited because I'm hearing that new cars don't have ashtrays anymore. So maybe the smokers should install some kind of device in their cars for their butts or wait to smoke when they get home and not throw the butts out the windows.

[alstephenson]

133. Yes, I think they still sell the little glass ashtrays and disposable lighters

so I don't see why not having "built in" ashtrays and lighters is an excuse for throwing butts out the window.

[L. Coyote]

12. I hate it that they KILL the people and pets around them.

[seabeyond]

20. ya.... you are just seeing people, and pets droppin like flies

lol lol geeeez, i should know better than enter one ofo these threads.

people and pets dropping around smokers.... dead

and another poster would KILL someone if they saw them do it

[L. Coyote]

84. I'm not young, so I have quite a few frind who have died. It is a real threat to human life.

and that's why one has to employ some sarcasm. But it isn't funny when your buds are on oxygen tanks!!

[SoCalDem]

205. like all those dead Canadians everyone has to wade through

from all those drugs too dangerous to re-import to the USA ...and from their "dangerous" health care plan :rofl:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. ROFLMAO!!!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[marksmithfield]

111. Aww geeeze

not that second hand crap again....

[CreekDog]

127. i assume your science to dispute the "second hand crap" is more solid?

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

172. ya... reality. are you seeing people, children and pets droppin like flies?

back in my day my parents smoked. most all my parents friends smoked and they didnt ventilate. we would have to get on hands and knees to go thru the house.

here we all are decades later, still alive

if the second hand crap was a reality, people growing up from that generation would not be around today.

[CreekDog]

178. Who should I believe? You who say it's not harmful or science which concludes it is harmful?

Secondhand Smoke Can Make Children Suffer Serious Health Risks

Breathing secondhand smoke can be harmful to children's health including asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis and pneumonia and ear infections.

Children's exposure to secondhand smoke is responsible for:

1. increases in the number of asthma attacks and severity of symptoms in 200,000 to 1 million children with asthma;
2. between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (for children under 18 months of age); and,
3. respiratory tract infections resulting in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year.

The developing lungs of young children are severely affected by exposure to secondhand smoke for several reasons including that children are still developing physically, have higher breathing rates than adults, and have little control over their indoor environments. Children receiving high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those with smoking mothers, run the greatest risk of damaging health effects.

source: EPA

[seabeyond]

180. yourself. believe your own eyes. look around your world. when i hear bullshit

i generally look around my world to see how right on it is.

[CreekDog]

181. and discount science that is totally convinced of the dangers of second hand smoke?

smoke that aggravates asthma and other respiratory problems, smoke that causes changes in DNA, smoke that irritates the lungs?

you can look around and see those things aren't happening?

:crazy:

let me tell you something, in my family, the three people that lived the longest, and outlived the others by far, they didn't smoke, in fact they were the few that didn't of their generation.

[seabeyond]

184. and your story about smokers has to do with argument of second hand smoke how?

i am not arguing that smoking is healthy.

i am arguing that people around smokers are dropping like flies....dead.

[CreekDog]

190. that isn't saying much

:eyes:

[seabeyond]

192. hm. wink. n/t

[snappyturtle]

13. Well I don't know about everybody else but I haven't had an ashtray or

lighter in a car since?????? years! But,I see your point too. I'd kill anybody I saw doing that here...we're in a drought with red flag warnings!

[seabeyond]

18. you would "kill" them. wow. n/t

[snappyturtle]

41. Well, they're threatening to kill me, if you bother to think about it.

It's scary hearing the fire station set off alarms and the fire trucks whiz! past my house!!! I am a smoker. I USE an enclosed ashtray in my car. Red flag warnings mean the weather conditions...draught and wind are right for wild fires. They scare the hell out of me. sorry. And, of course, I wouldn't KILL them but I'd give them some strong words if I could. Luckily, I don't see idiots doing that here.

Boy, everybody's 'bucky' on DU lately.

[Warpy]

14. If they use the ashtrays, it seems they invariably

dump the contents onto a supermarket parking lot instead of into a trash bag to be put into the garbage.

Yeah, it's disgusting. It can also be dangerous.

My dad got his FBI file when a discarded butt from the car in front of him blew into his car window and burned up a bunch of absolutely vital war paperwork he had sitting in the back seat.

I think the old boy was proud of me when I found out I had an FBI file, too.

[MrsMatt]

94. Or when they are stuck in traffic.

I had a friend, while waiting for the lift bridge, who was once stuck behind a car where the driver dumped out his ashtray (and other trash) onto the street. She was so angry, she got out of her car, picked up his garbage and knocked on his window. Surprisingly, he rolled down his window, and she handed him his trash, and said very sweetly, "I think you dropped something." He was so embarrased, he actually took it.

She was applauded by the other motorists!

[Stellabella]

15. It's littering and disgusting. So keep an ashtray in your car.

Doesn't seem that difficult.

[sammythecat]

51. Really. Lack of a built-in ashtray is

the lamest of arguments. If I smoke in my car, I have a container to use as an ashtray. I don't throw the butts out the window. My car doesn't have a built-in garbage can, but that doesn't give me license to throw trash out the window.

My car doesn't have a toilet either.

[Kalyke]

59. I don't have room for a container, either.

I'm one of those women who didn't buy a car for the number of cupholders - therefore, I have only one. Cup's there - where do I put the ashtray?

[Rainbowreflect]

66. I could make a few suggestions.

;-)

[Kalyke]

106. Don't be mean.

I don't want to quit until my doctor figures out why I can't lose weight.

(Yes, I know, eat less, exercise more - I do that. I don't lose a pound - it's mind boggling. Maybe one day I'll wake up and 20 pounds will just be gone, but I doubt it.)

However, I don't smoke in my home because of the kids. I can't smoke in any business other than an over-21 nightclub; therefore, the only place I can grab a smoke with a roof over my head is the car. It's my personal space. Not sure why auto manufacturers didn't think I might need a tiny bit of space to put cig butts or even trash!

[Rainbowreflect]

117. Not mean, just kidding around.

Sorry about the issue with losing weight. I can relate. I have been working very hard for the last 2 years. Trying to write down everything I eat and exercising almost every day. It has taken me almost two years to lose 90 lbs.
Good luck, I hope your doctors can help you.
:hug:

[Wabbajack_]

130. "I don't want to quit until my doctor figures out why I can't lose weight."

What the heck does that have to do with quitting smoking?

[VenusRising]

201. Most smokers gain weight when they quit.

It has to do with the hand to mouth action like with cigarettes. It's better for the doctor to figure out the weight before quitting because that will be the main reason for weight retention and not the cessation of smoking.

[sammythecat]

119. There is NO place near the drivers seat to place an ashtray or

empty soda can? Any sort of container at all with an inch or two of sand in the bottom?

I'm a smoker too, but, really, we don't have a right to throw our crap onto other peoples neighborhoods while we pass through. I don't like seeing the berm littered with butts when I walk down the road I live on. It's a seldom used country road, so the situation isn't out of hand, but if things were different and it was littered with windblown papers, assorted crap, and butts all over the place, that would be even more reason to refrain from adding to desecration.

I'm not without guilt here. I've thrown thousands of butts out of the car and truck window when I was younger. Now my mind is changed for the better I think. Littering is littering. It's offensive, illegal, thoughtless, and disrespectful.

[cabluedem]

157. Well said. If only more smokers were repsonsible, like you. n/t

[CreekDog]

128. you don't have to put one anywhere

but don't light up if you don't have a proper place to dispose of the cigarette when you are done.

[Scout]

140. could you possibly not smoke for a few minutes? when you've finished your drink

use the cup as the ashtray?

god, how fucking lame you can be?

[cabluedem]

156. They sell a sand-bag/ashtray device that should work well for you. They dont cost much. n/t

[slackmaster]

186. The solution in your case is to unscrew your radiator cap,

Throw the car away, and screw the cap onto a bigger vehicle.

[EndersDame]

211. From a fellow smoker, Field strip the Cig and throw away the butt when you can

It is that easy

[seabeyond]

16. last two cars i have had dont have ashtrays. societies huge push on

dictating others behavior may have a backlash. ya think

[SidDithers]

49. They're optional equipment on almost all cars and trucks...

all you have to do is ask (and pay) for them.

Sid

[grace0418]

72. My car didn't come with a garbage can but I don't whip garbage out the window.

As someone who had to quickly pull off a busy highway, find a lit cigarette that someone had thrown out their window that had then blown into my back seat, and dispose of it properly before it started a fire, damn straight I think society should be dictating the behavior of people who clearly can't see that their actions have consequences.

[spoony]

210. Perfect comeback.

I was thinking of "my car didn't come with a toilet but..." but yours is a bit more polite :)

[Adsos Letter]

17. Yeah...same with just tossing the butts on the ground...

The beach seems to be especially prone to it; many smokers seem to view it as one big ashtray. :(

[HelenWheels]

28. Beach butts

I was sitting on a beach in St. Maarten and ran my hand through the sand. I came up with a handful of butts with filters. Those things don't biodegrade for years. Pretty disgusting.

[proud2BlibKansan]

44. Actually they biodegrade pretty quickly

Much faster than a lot of other trash.

[SidDithers]

55. How quick is quickly?...

I've read reports that they take as much as 15 years to decompose. Can you substantiate "quickly"?

Sid

[proud2BlibKansan]

121. Lots faster than that

It's just paper. I notice when I take my trash out weekly that a lot of the butts have already started to degrade. And they have only been in the can for a week.

[CreekDog]

132. your experiment isn't *conclusive*

Cigarettes contain over 165 chemicals - Some of the chemicals smokers inhale: (http://www.tobaccofacts.org/suckedin)
Benzopyrene: found in coal tar and cigarette smoke and it is one of the most potent cancer causing chemical in the world.
Arsenic: deadly poison that causes diarrhea, cramps, anemia, paralysis and malignant skin tumors. It is used in pesticides.
Acetone: It's one of the active ingredients in nail polish remover.
Lead: Lead poisoning stunts growth, causes vomiting, and causes brain damage.
Formaldehyde: causes cancer, can damage lungs, skin, and digestive systems. Embalmers use it to preserve dead bodies.
Toluene: highly toxic, commonly use as an ingredient in paint thinner.
Butane: highly flammable butane is one of the key components in gasoline.
Cadmium: cause damage to the liver, kidneys and brain, and stays in the body for years.
Ammonia: causes individuals to absorb more nicotine, keeping them hooked on smoking.
Benzene: found in pesticides and gasoline.

[proud2BlibKansan]

139. Okay I'll get back to you after I run an official experiment

Didn't realize my personal experience was irrelevant. :eyes:

[CreekDog]

144. we have a big problem with cigarette butts polluting our beaches and shorelines

clearly in those cases, they are not decomposing fast enough.

furthermore, the speed at which they decompose in your garbage can is going to be different than in other environments.

for example, on pavement or in dry sand, their decomposition will be very slow.

secondly, even if they did decompose as fast as you say, they are releasing those chemicals into the environment as they do.

[SidDithers]

148. No, it's not paper. There might be a paper covering, but ...

the filter is made of acetate fibers, which are plastic.

http://www.longwood.edu/CLEANVA/cigbuttbiodegradable.htm

And, just like plastic bags and plastic bottles, plastic cigarette filters take forever to degrade.

Sid

[proud2BlibKansan]

173. Not at my house

[SidDithers]

176. Your smokes don't have filters?...

Or is acetate not a plastic in Kansas?

Sid

[proud2BlibKansan]

199. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5089893&mesg_id=5091835

[truedelphi]

76. Especially with the help of the hapless mammals and birds

Who ingest the nicotine and get sick and maybe even die.

[alstephenson]

136. Yes, I was wondering when someone would mention the danger to birds and other wildlife.

Thanks.

[CreekDog]

131. Obey the damn law, and don't litter with cigarette butts

Stop defending this crappy behavior. It IS harmful.

"Cigarette butts are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, which can take many (estimated 2 to 25) years to decompose." Surfrider

"The Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental organization based in Washington, D.C., compiled the results of a shoreline cleanup day conducted by volunteers last year in 68 countries. It covered a combined 34,000 miles of shoreline and collected 7 million pounds of litter, 80 percent of which had been washed from land into the water. Of the 7.7 million items of debris collected worldwide in 2006, cigarettes and cigarette butts accounted for roughly 1.9 million, the sixth consecutive year they have topped the list.

[proud2BlibKansan]

175. I was answering a question; not defending littering

You anti-smoking Nazis are insane! I'll have you know I NEVER EVER litter. So get off your fucking high horse and try actually READING a thread before jumping on me for something I never said.

[joeunderdog]

147. It's as if people don't even consider them trash

or on fire for that matter.

[slackmaster]

187. The beach also gets butts washed down storm drains

They come from everywhere and concentrate on the beach.

[elocs]

19. Litter is litter and trash is trash. Unfortunately, many smoker believe their butts are exempt.

When I was in my 20s (some 30 years ago) I worked for the Park Department and had to clean up under the ballpark bleachers. Pop cans and the like were easy, but then there were hundreds and hundreds of cigarette butts. I cleaned the shelter houses where people would throw their butts on the floor where they found their way into the seams of the concrete and required extra work to remove. And yes, cigarettes thrown from cars do start fires and that is no joke.

[FormerDittoHead]

21. My house is on the opposite corner of a left turn. My front grass is a SEA of butts.

Cars often stop in front of my house in order to make a left turn.

I go to mow the grass and I have to take the mulcher off and my mower is like a damn snow blower with the cigarette butts.

[onehandle]

22. Cigarette butts are the single most polluted item on the planet.

And no, they are not biodegradable. They are made with plastic.

[Venceremos]

23. It bugs me too and I smoke

It seems that every smoker who uses our road decides to throw their butts out right in front of my house. I clean up several packs of smoked butts at least once a week.

I saw my neighbors do it so I asked them to stop littering my yard. They said it's not litter because cigarette butts are "biodegradable". My husband's aunt throws her butts in my yard when she visits, and also uses the "biodegradable" excuse to explain away her littering.

For reference, I don't smoke in my car.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

24. When I Throw It Out On The Drive Home Tonight, I'll Think Of You And Smile.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. lol

[Laura PourMeADrink]

31. lol

[SidDithers]

57. We wouldn't expect anything else from you...nt

Sid

[iverglas]

135. beat me to it - n/t

[truedelphi]

78. Pls see post 38 and post 75 n/t

[Name removed]

80. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AlCzervik]

90. that's a good point, same here in California.

[RedCappedBandit]

194. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I picked it up and threw it right back at ya.. nt

[Evoman]

197. Better not fucking be in a drought area, asshole.

That is sociopathic behaviour.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

26. Shit. What more do you want?? Non-smokers have called every

single shot. They banned smoking everywhere. Some companies, you can't even smoke in your own car. Hell, there are even towns you can't smoke anywhere in - not even your own home. Smokers had absolutely nothing to say about any of this.

Last I checked, over time, they pretty much fall apart anyway.

Might want to worry more about the zillions upon zillions of plastic bags and bottles that don't go away.

[RandomKoolzip]

39. Well, maybe you shouldn't smoke, then.

:shrug:

[A-Long-Little-Doggie]

91. Walk along the road sometime and take a good look at the litter.

You will find that almost all of the litter is cigarette butts and cigarette packs.

Really. Just do it and report back.

edit for spelling

[RobinA]

113. Actually

When I walk along my rural road and environs, I mostly see discarded beer cans. Far more beer than soda, actually, although there are plenty of both. Worries me.

[Upton]

27. Many smokers are both rude and uncaring

drug addiction has a tendency to do that to people.

Here in Wa. state the fine for throwing a lit cigarette from a vehicle is $1025...that being because of the fire danger.

[gauguin57]

48. Yay for Washington State!

It really is a fire hazard in so many ways ... I'm glad there's a stiff penalty!

[Upton]

60. Yeah, there's a number you can call to report offenders too

Seems to me all 50 states should take up similar laws, even increase the penalty...the fire hazard is a real issue.

[bain_sidhe]

65. No more rude and uncaring than many non-smokers.

I'm a former smoker, and I hate some of my non-smoking "compatriots."

Being non-addicted to nicotine does not make them god, nor does it give them the right to abuse others, but too many of them don't seem to know that.

[gauguin57]

68. How is it "being god" or "abusing others" to worry about getting burned or starting a forest fire?

sheesh! double sheesh!

[SidDithers]

69. Being addicted to nicotine does not give anyone the right...

to pollute the environment around them. But, given the number of butts littered, many smokers don't seem to know that.

Sid

[La Lioness Priyanka]

122. many more people who stereotype by a single behavior are assholes. nt

[sailor65]

29. It's completely disgusting

And I think it gained in occurrence with the rise in popularity of leasing. People wanted to keep the cars cleaner knowing they had to be returned, so they threw their filth out in the street.

[Sewsojm]

33. Nope,

I'm more concerned about all trash bags and beer bottles they throw from their cars.

[azmouse]

34. It's not even just the butts that are thrown from vehicles that are a problem.

A few years ago we had some masonry work done on our house. I swear everyone of the guys doing the work was a 3 pack a day smoker based on how many butts I had to clean up from my yard. After a few days of these guys thinking absolutely nothing of throwing those nasty, smelly butts around I'd had enough and told them to pick them all up at the end of the day. I also offered to put out cans with sand for them to use but they admitted they probably would forget about the cans.
I can't imagine what their homes and yards must look like if they gave no thought to polluting someone else's yard.

[marksmithfield]

114. We always charge extra

When my crew finds out we are building a house for a anti smoker type. If you want me to stop what I am doing just to go find a butt can then it's going to cost you.

[azmouse]

123. It's my property and no one has the right to litter all over it.

I offered cans they could use and they refused.
It is then their job to clean up after a mess that was personal and not job related... not my job.

Would you want workman to just throw their garbage all over your yard and expect you to clean it up?
Maybe take a shit on your lawn? Because that is what I consider it.

[Scout]

142. wow. how unprofessional and ridiculous. i'd be sure to not hire you if i knew that up front. n/t

[csziggy]

37. Try living in the South where the tobacco chewers spit their wads all over the place

Completely foul chunks of spit and used tobacco on sidewalks, streets, in restrooms.... :puke: Cigarette butts are clean compared to that stuff.

Society needs to bring back spittons and the no spitting in public laws that used to be on the books!

[Arugula Latte]

56. Okay, you are not helping dispell the South's image problem...

:rofl:

[csziggy]

64. LOL - as a Southern born, lifetime Southerner, I guess I shouldn't criticze the South!

But tobacco chewing has gotten out of hand these days. When I was young, few people used chewing tobacco. Now, it seems, every other man under forty chews. It is just nasty.

[Canuckistanian]

38. Plus, it's a safety issue

If someone has a small gas leak, all those showers of sparks from tossed LIT cigarettes could ignite the gas.

And yes, I hate it, too.

[SidDithers]

40. Cigarette butts are the most littered item on Earth...

approximately 4.3 trillion butts are littered every year.
http://www.buttsout.net/litter_stats

Smokers, apparently, think the world is their ashtray.

Sid

[gauguin57]

42. Last night the Interstate looked like a fireworks display with all the yutzes throwing lit butts

out the window.

If I ever have my window open, and sparks fly in and set my car on fire, I will get that driver's plate number (if I have to be burned doing it) and I will sue until I don't have the money to sue anymore.

I wish these people would be fined for littering and risking a forest fire (and endangering motorcyclists and any drivers who have their windows open behind them).

Did they NEVER listen to Smokey the Bear?

In all the years I smoked, I NEVER threw a lit butt out my window. Always knew it was too dangerous.

[Contrary1]

45. Several years ago, a friend was stopped by a policeman for doing that.

Instead of a ticket, he had her walk along the curb until she had found and picked up 50 discarded butts. He then told her to take them home and dispose of them properly. Yuk.

As far as I know, she never did it again.

[Upton]

50. He should have made her take a good whiff of them too

so she would know how she smells to non smokers.

[TheCowsCameHome]

46. They throw them on the floor at home, so why not?

Oh really, they don't?

[rug]

47. I hate it when I throw one out the window and it comes flying back in.

The passengers don't like it much either, especially when it's still lit.

[road2000]

52. No need to ever throw butts out windows.

My 2006 car didn't come with an ashtray. But for a few bucks one can get an ashtray specially made to fit into a car's cup well. There's a hole in the middle to dispose of the butts. The top comes off so it can be emptied into the trash. It's actually easier than pulling out a traditional factory ashtray.

These goodies are available at Walgreen's and probably most similar stores.

[Dreamer Tatum]

Don't you know that smokers have a divine right to stink and pollute?

What are you, some kind of Nazi, trying to abridge that right?

[dflprincess]

53. I hate it now and I hated it when I was a smoker

Never did it myself. Not only is it littering but it can pose a danger to others should it fly into someone's window or land in dry grass.

[Mugweed]

54. Years ago I asked a smoker why.

He drove a car with both the ashtray and lighter (you have to choose that option now). His answer was that the butts make his car smell bad. I told him that his car already smells like a cigarette butt from him smoking in it. He said he couldn't smell it, but could when there are butts in the ashtray.

[Kalyke]

58. I hate it that car manufacturers stopped putting ashtrays in cars.

That's who you should hate. Smokers wouldn't have to do that if they had a receptacle in the car.

[Zywiec]

61. It's nasty, but what else would you expect? n/t

[Winterblues]

63. Why is polluting the ground any more obnoxious than polluting the air?

:shrug: Smokers are polluters. There is no if and or butt about it. They will come up with all sorts of strawmen like "what about cars" or "What about fatty foods" but the bottom line is smokers pollute. And a lot here Brag about it..

[tridim]

67. I used to carry a plastic bottle in the car as my ashtray

It was great because once the cap was on there it didn't stink at all.

[SeattleGirl]

164. I do that.

I make sure there's water in it, so the ciggy goes out right away.

Then put the cap on, and viola! No stinky stale cig smell.

(Oh, and I don't smoke with others in the car.....that would be rude.)

[grace0418]

70. It's strange to me that many people who would never even think of

littering with a package or paper or can or anything else, will throw cigarettes on the ground and out the windows of their cars.

[DevonRex]

71. It's dangerous, too. Many fires in Colorado are caused by lit cigarettes

being tossed out of car windows.

[raccoon]

73. I also hate it when they empty their ashtrays at interstate exits.

Some just take that opportunity to dump their butts.

[proud2BlibKansan]

200. I watched a lady dump an entire sack of fast food trash

She was in front of me at a stoplight a month ago.

I guess I should have alerted the cigarette butt police. :eyes:

[Baikonour]

74. They could just make the butts biodegradable.

Problem solved.

[gauguin57]

149. Problem NOT solved ... forest fires? Bikers getting hit with flaming butts?

Disgusting AND dangerous.

[NeedleCast]

77. This ranks about a 0.5 on my give a shit meter

[Lerkfish]

81. my dad smoked 4 packs a day

and NEVER threw his butt out the window. He used to say people who did that are arrogant enough to think the world is their ashtray.

[femrap]

82. Plus gum....why do people

spit their gum out on the ground? Guess we need to have another Anti-Littering campaign. Oh, I forgot...the TV stations no longer do Public Announcements anymore...they could sell those few seconds for $$$$$.

And if there is no ashtray, create one! Use the brain.

I don't see how people can afford cigarettes anymore.

[jillan]

83. I hate it when businesses don't have ashtrays by the front door.

Where exactly am I suppose to put my cigarette butt?

[county worker]

88. Carry a portable ash tray and put it in there and carry it around until you get home.

[RedCappedBandit]

195. Maybe they don't want you smoking in front of their front door. Just a thought

[asteroid2003QQ47]

85. The dumb fucks get off on the power trip of flicking that butt.

They will ever so casually but deliberately miss the butt can.

[jayfish]

87. Well, That Was One Of The Dumber Things I Have Ever Read. -NT-

Jay

[asteroid2003QQ47]

92. # 1 dumbfuck checks in! eom

[jayfish]

98. 136,693 Users And I'm #1?

Some might take that as a compliment.

Jay

[asteroid2003QQ47]

108. You might but you'd be wrong, it's a numerical order thing. eom

[Cleita]

86. In California it's against the law because of the fire danger. n/t

[chaska]

89. Take it from a former janitor, smokers are slobs.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

95. Only slobs? Why so kind, chaska? n/t

[roody]

93. Those filters take a long time to break down and

cause problems for sea animals. As long as we are griping, I was lectured about the patriarchy and chastised for being white and middle class by a young woman that I saw the following day wearing a Washington Redskins cap that had a horrendous caricature of an indigenous person on it. She threw her patriarchal cig butt on the sidewalk.

[cboy4]

97. Only at night when I'm on the freeway and I have the sunroof

open.

It freaks me out seeing a glowing object tumbling toward me and suddenly flying over the top of my car, showering sparks the entire time.

I know the chances of it dropping through my open roof are very remote, but ...

:scared:

[comrade snarky]

221. Try riding a motorcycle

I've had a lit cigarette bounce off my face shield. Just one more reason to wear a helmet.

[skypilot]

99. I'm a smoker and...

...I have to agree with you about this, although, I think it's bad when smokers flick their butts even when they are walking. You never know where a lit cigarette is going to end up--especially on a windy day. I hate when I see people littering, and tossing a cigarette out on the street is littering. There are smokers who will toss their cigarettes on the ground even when they are standing right next to one of those upright cigarette receptacles. I used to see this at my last job and the look of disgust on the cleaning crews' faces was unmistakable. I couldn't blame them. A little thought and consideration would go a long, long way.

[Tulum_Moon]

102. Are there still places to plug in your chargers?

In cars without Lighters. Mine hs three outlets one lighter.

[skypilot]

105. Was that question for me?

I don't drive so I don't have a clue. :)

[orleans]

103. my car did not come with an ashtray. i bought TWO.

i used to toss a cigarette out the window--then i thought: "what the fuck are you doing?" miss anti-litter?

i haven't done it for years and years.

[Kalyke]

109. Where do you put the ashtray?

I don't have a place for both an ashtray and a cup (as I mentioned above, I didn't buy my car for the cupholders as mentioned in that Cadillac commercial - I bought my car because it's pretty, reliable, fast and fairly economical in the gasoline department).

[orleans]

150. i bought one from amazon--it plugs into the cigarette lighter spot

(there isn't a cigerette lighter either) and it lights up--it's really cool, found it on amazon.

the other one i have sits in the cup holder (but i don't use that one)--it lights up too.

[kentauros]

104. It is different from that chucked McDonald's meal in that the latter usually isn't on fire

;)
But, most have pointed out that fact already. I seem to recall some woman in North Texas (Denton, was it?) getting taken to court over a grass fire she started with a chucked butt.

Of course, it is litter, and a very persistent form at that. It simply does not break down. The paper and leftover tobacco will eventually go away, but the fibers of the butt remain. Treehugger.com has a good column on this:

Green Smokers: Never Litter But Still Chuck Butts?

[snooper2]

107. Decomposition Rates + Good for Plants

Cigarette butt: 1 to 5 years



Plastic milk jug: 500 years



So, we are basically saving space in landfills by throwing the butt out the window and waiting 1-5 years :evilgrin:

http://www.ways2gogreen.com/DontThrowThisAwayDecompositionRates.html


Also, Research shows some plants use nicotine to protect from insect attacks. So, if it lands in the grass your helping a flower :rofl:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VtcUy_KJjqQC&pg=PA842&lpg=PA842&dq=%22nicotine+plants%22&source=web&ots=2CdvwCJi1V&sig=1Ma0b9FbKgrIrm24Ii9zsgKkUnw&hl=en&ei=m8WdSYngDtW5twejlYnlBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result

[CreekDog]

137. No no no

so cigarette butts are good for beaches, waterways, fish, water quality?

no way. BS.

[HelenWheels]

112. Medical clinic

Last year I expressed my disgust to my doctor that the entrance to his clinic was loaded with cigarette butts. He didn't know this as he came in the doctor's entrance. The next time I went to that clinic the butts were gone and the area has remained clean. They put a receptacle by the door for the butts and the smokers used it and I do appreciate that.

[a la izquierda]

115. They should keep a damn cup with water...

or a water bottle in the car. It's disgusting.
Jeez louise.

Note: I'm a smoker, trying desperately to become a non-smoker. But I live in Oklahoma, where one badly tossed butt will light the whole damn state on fire. The world isn't a dumping ground or an ash-tray.

[tabasco]

116. Yep.

Who told smokers that butts aren't litter?

I have to pick them up on the road where I live.

The dumbasses start fires, too.

[Dem2theMax]

118. One, Planet Earth is not the personal trash can of smokers.

But they think it is.

Two. I live in Southern California, wildfire capital of the world. I see smokers toss lit cigs out their car windows all the time.
I would LOVE to see huge fines for anyone tossing a cig. And I do mean very large, painfully expensive, fines.

It's bad enough that smokers put all of us in danger when they toss lit cigs into dry brush areas. (Lately, that description fits most of So. Cal.)
Top it off by using the world as a trash can... :mad:

And no, I do not litter. EVER. I was raised that way.

[CreekDog]

125. When i worked at the Grand Canyon I would pick up cigarette butts -was asked to do this periodically

"Cigarette butts are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, which can take many (estimated 2 to 25) years to decompose" (source: Surfrider)

People need to dispose of cigarettes properly and if they have no way to do so, then they should not smoke until they have a way.

People toss their cigarette butts along THE EDGE of the Grand Canyon for crying out loud! :rant:

[Raine]

126. I hate it ,really pisses me off

I had an experience didn't involve a car but once I was walking beneath a hotel balcony and someone threw a lit cigarette out and it almost hit me. I also saw someone throw out a lit cigarette butt on the sidewalk and a poor dog stepped on it, the dog yelped in pain. :-(

[TWiley]

129. Smokers stink and they are thoughtless ......

What if everyone else went around farting every 10 minutes?

[taterguy]

143. Please STFU unless you're one of those freaks who bikes and walks everywhere

The fumes from your car are far more noxious than any cigarette smoke (Except for clove cigarettes, those things are nasty.)

[PVnRT]

171. Damn, for once I agree with taterguy

Funny how many on this thread are OUTRAGED!!11!! about cigarette butts, but not the noxious shit coming out of the tailpipe, which is far more long-lasting and damaging to the environment.

[iverglas]

134. speaking as a smoker

Yes.

When I smoke outdoors where there is no disposal container provided, I rip the filter off the bit of burning tobacco and shred of paper. Then drop the latter and shred it under my heel, and put the filter in my pocket. Or shove it in my bra, if I'm wearing one and don't have any pockets. Or, the obvious choice, stick it in the cigarette package.

The shreds of tobacco and square centimetre of flimsy paper soon biodegrade, and the filter goes in the garbage at home. If and when I remember.

Science fiction writer Harlan Ellison was rather famous for beating litterers at their own game. I once read a report of him picking up a burning cigar stub tossed out a car window at a stoplight and tossing it back in the window.

[rd_kent]

138. I have stopped and picked up a tossed butt or garbage

that I witnessed being thrown out of a car, followed them until they stopped, and gave it back with the explanation "I think you dropped this". The look on their face is priceless.

[graywarrior]

141. Yes

[MrSlayer]

145. No, I love it. Fuck Woodsy Owl.

[ldr65]

146. They do this because their Inconsiderate Pigs.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

152. Pigs are lovable, smokers are inconsiderate assholes! eom

[SeattleGirl]

166. Pardon me, but not all of us are.

I smoke, but I don't smoke around non-smokers.

I don't throw my butts out the window.

And for the record, I didn't marry my cousin (or any of the other things you non-smokers seem to think we smokers do).

Just because you may have encountered a rude smoker doesn't mean every smoker is that way.

Sorry to ruin your piss party.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

168. Sorry, I forgot to allow for the self-medicators, those smokers...

who, for a variety of reasons, have (wrongly) convinced themselves
they can escape legitimate medication.

[SeattleGirl]

193. That doesn't even make sense.

Are you saying that anyone who smokes actually needs some kind of medication? :eyes:

[asteroid2003QQ47]

202. Do you live in a bubble!?

And no, I did not say "anyone" (though it may well prove true), that is your word.
There is no shortage on web info on this topic, make an effort to get up to speed
and educate yourself, beyond the info below I'll not spoon feed you.
----------------------------------------------------------

Nicotine use in schizophrenia: the self medication hypotheses.

by: V Kumari, P Postma

Abstract

The behavioural and cognitive effects of nicotine in schizophrenia have received much interest in recent years. The rate of smoking in patients with schizophrenia is estimated to be two- to four-fold the rate seen in the general population. Furthermore such patients favour stronger cigarettes and may also extract more nicotine from their cigarettes than other smokers. The question has been raised whether the widespread smoking behaviour seen in this patient group is in fact a manifestation of a common underlying physiology, and that these patients smoke in an attempt to self-medicate. We present an overview of the explanations for elevated rates of smoking in schizophrenia, with particular emphasis on the theories relating this behaviour to sensory gating and cognitive deficits in this disorder that have been viewed as major support for the self-medication hypotheses.
http://www.citeulike.org/user/tkandell/article/456055
----------------------------------------------------
SOME SMOKERS USE NICOTINE TO "SELF-MEDICATE FOR DEPRESSION"

by Caryn Lerman, Ph.D., Neil Caporaso, M.D., David Main, MS, Janet Audrain, Ph.D. Neal R. Boyd, Ph.D., Elise D. Bowman, MS, and Peter G. Shields, M.D.

Behavioral research has established that cigarette smoking by people with depression can be a form of self- medication, using the mood-altering properties of nicotine to relieve -- at least temporarily -- depressive symptoms. Dr. Lerman suggests that depressed people --and nondepressed people -- who smoke to improve their mood may do so because of differences in their genetic make-up. Such differences that may be important to the effectiveness of future treatments for depression and nicotine dependency.
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/atd/selfmed.html
-----------------------------------------------------------
Nicotine self-administration in animals and humans: similarities and differences

JE Rose, WA Corrigall
Amongst the neurochemical systems which have been examined, most emphasis has been given to dopamine. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway has been implicated in nicotine reward based on animal studies, and research with humans suggests a role for dopaminergic processes as well. However, dopaminergic blockade appears to increase cigarette smoking behavior in humans, while in animals nicotine self-administration is attenuated.
http://www.ionchannels.org/showabstract.php?pmid=9089846&redirect=yes&terms=nicotine%2Bself+medication

[asteroid2003QQ47]

222. Smoke break, SG? n/t

[readmoreoften]

162. Are you fucking real? You're disgusting.

I'm not a smoker, but you're a self-righteous fuck for calling all smokers inconsiderate pigs. Sanctimonious prick.

[SeattleGirl]

167. I've found that many non-smokers seem to think that they have an

absolute right and duty to diss smokers. Pisses me off big time.

They seem to think that if someone thousands of miles away from them lights up, it will immediately bring illness upon them.

Never mind all the other pollutants around.

In their minds, smoking is the cause of any and everything wrong in this world.

Would it be that easy.....

:eyes:

[MrsBrady]

151. it's also a fire hazard n/t

[Roadless]

153. no ash tray? Just keep the butts in a soda can ......

with some water in it. Not that hard.

[Politicalboi]

158. I had a friend who

Was getting pulled over and threw the roach out the window and it hit the cop on the bike. Bounced off his leg. LOL! I smoke and use my ashtray all the time and I empty them in a trash can rather than a parking lot. And if I rent a non smoking car I take it with me so I can smoke.

[Cid_B]

160. Reminds me of a college buddy..

... who flung his out the window and nailed a motorcycle cop. You can guess how that one went for him.

[SeattleGirl]

161. This smoker does.

And I also hate it when people light up in a crowd.

I like going to Seattle Mariners games, but damn, most of the time when we leave Safeco Field, some idiot has to light up right away. Not only is it rude, but it could also be dangerous. I've literally been burned by another person's lit ciggy, and even though I'm a smoker myself, I don't appreciate someone giving me burn scars.

[readmoreoften]

163. That's what you have to contribute? Really?

My pet peeve is when people start shit with groups of people for no fucking reason. No wonder why their divide and conquer tactics work so well.

[joeunderdog]

209. Uh, the litterers started it. The OP just responded.

Amazing that you still see "no fucking reason" to discuss the topic unless you missed the 200 posts. Major fire hazzard, toxicity to wildlife and marine life, environmental concerns, etc.

And bad PR for smokers.

[Why Syzygy]

165. People who live in Austin, TX do not do this.

It may be illegal, not sure. But the sense of pride in the beauty of the place keeps people from littering like that. And, there are usually fire warnings.

Putting butts in the car tray makes the car smell even worse. I have a removable butt can to avoid that.

[eridani]

169. I hate people who throw ANYTHING out of car windows n/t

[stuntcat]

174. I do

(well maybe not "Hate", I try to save my Hate for the people who really earned Hate :)) But yeah, it's nasty littering and disrespect for the plants and animals trying to eek out their lives on the nature we leave around our highways and suburbs. Environmental disrespect makes me ashamed of my whole species. Maggots and ticks I respect, they don't litter.

People will say one or two cigarette butts can't possibly make a difference but nature happens in tiny places.. and what if EVERYONE with a cigarette started throwing all their butts in the grass? It's shameful tacky grossness.

:rant: And NOTHING against smokers! I'm cool with them.

[acmavm]

177. I smoked for decades. Never through my butts out any windows, car or

otherwise.

If you're gonna smoke, there is are certain things that should never be done because they are totally irresponsible, lazy, and ignorant. Throwing cigarette butts out car windows is one. Too many horrific fires start that way. Plus it's nothing more or less than throwing your 'trash' out of the window.

Quit smoking 4 years ago and I'm glad I don't have to deal with this shit anymore.

[lunatica]

179. This is an anti-smoking post

[onehandle]

198. Smoking is a suicidal, homicidal activity.

It only exists because it contains a powerful and addictive drug.

Half a million+ people die in America each year due to first and second hand smoke.

200+ Billion dollars a year is spent here on the health and productivity effects of smoking.

Why would anyone be "anti-smoking?"


However, the percentage of smokers in America dropped below 20% and continues to drop.

Now that's anti-smoking.

[lunatica]

203. I was being fatecious. OP claimed this wasn't an anti-smoking thread

Lighten up. I'm aware of the world around me.

[onehandle]

206. Sorry, sorry.

Could have gone either way.


:dunce:

[slackmaster]

182. I throw them back into their cars at every opportunity

Tossed butts start fires around here.

[pipi_k]

189. Butts don't really bother me...it's

the slobs who throw trash out the window.

I live in a nice rural area. It's often littered with beer cans, soda cans, paper cups, whole cardboard boxes (like the kind that holds six packs of beer), glass bottles, used disposable diapers, and various other disgusting garbage.

What, it's too much trouble to have a bag or something in the back seat for bringing their trash home for disposal????

My trash ends up in my purse or another bag I carry, then gets thrown out at home.

It's obvious that these pigs weren't taught as children to respect where other people live and throw their trash in proper receptacles.

[Heidi]

191. This smoker doesn't do that, nor do most smokers I know. (nt)

[Evoman]

196. Smokers don't have a monopoly on littering but I fucking hate cig butts.

My apartment building doesn't allow smoking inside the building, so people have to smoke outside. That's fine...hell, I don't like walking through smoke, but I let it go.

What I fucking can't stand though is the mounds of butts everywhere on the ground. I've even found butts in the little gardening spot my landlord lets me plant on. Here I am, trying to make this place nicer to live, and all these jackasses drops their fucking butts on the ground without consideration. I got so desperate that I even left a big tin can with a sign so people would drop their butts in it. Some used it, but the majority would still throw their butts on the ground.

ASSHOLES.

[SoCalDem]

204. and when drivers throw out their BigMac wrappers..and they throw out big gulp cups..n/t

[EndersDame]

207. As a smoker, field strip the cig and keep your butt in a container

Seriously butts are gross switch to unfiltered if it is too much work. Lets all be responsible now

[Touchdown]

208. I wonder is there's ever been a I hate smokers thread with less than 200 posts

I guess people gotta hate.:eyes:

[Liberal_in_LA]

217. lol. To be fair, the thread didn't start out as a "hate smokers" thread.

[Toasterlad]

213. I Was VERY Guilty Of That When I Smoked.

It was classless and stupid. There's no way anyone can defend the behavior. But I'd STILL rather see someone do that than drive while talking on their cell phone.

[blues90]

216. Nothing personal , but this has got to be the most insane

Topic or 2009. Do you realize that every single thing that people toss out or flush or pour down the drain or leaks from their precious car ends up as pollution and ruins the planet , even the tires that wear on your damn car creat rubber dust, where does this shit end up.

It is only because you see the cig butt that makes it the focus of this topic.

[donna123]

218. yes, I also really don't like

them hanging their cigarette out their car window, if my window is open I can smell it and even if I turn on my air conditioner, I can smell it. Why can't they smoke with their windows up? I am a bit of an anti-smoking nazi, I admit. I don't care if people smoke, just not anywhere where it can affect me.

[BlooInBloo]

224. hahahahaha!

[tyedyeto]

220. Bullshit......... Not an anti-smoking post? Get real.

My 1999 Jeep Cherokee does NOT have an ashtray. I'm a smoker and have a loose ashtray in one of the drink wells. I discard my butts in a proper manner and am disgusted that you think all smokers are litterbugs. Get a clue... many of us are very considerate around non-smokers and will move to a different OUTSIDE area rather than blow smoke in someone's face.

You are anti-smoker and will do whatever is in your power to wipe us smokers from the face of the earth. (reading between the lines of the OP)

edit to add....


Upon further reflection....I have seen much more flagrant examples of littering than a ciggarette butt in my many years of living. Have you ever seen a pick-up load of trash dumped along a roadside? I have. Often, those loads have a much greater toxic issue than a few ciggarette butts. But if you feel that a few people who litter some butts are more disgusting than paint cans, refridgerators or motor oil, then maybe you need to be in charge of roadside clean=up in many of the rural areas of our country.