Why do smokers find it ok to throw cigarette butts anywhere, when they wouldn't litter "normal" trash.

Ashinkusher16 · 1 year

I know people say there isn't a trash can everywhere, but honestly that's no excuse. In the military sometimes your chain of command is strict on littering and would require you to "field strip" your cig butts.

Field stripping basically consists of rolling the cig butt until the cherry and remaining tobacco fall out. Then you would pocket the butt and dispense it in your local friendly, neighborhood trash receptacle.

sleepingjellyfish · 1 year

I just eat them. I don't even smoke. Public service.

BuzzBadpants · 1 year

I'll bet it's a bit of herd rationalizing. You would litter butts because you know that a lot of people do it, so you're safe from stigmatization. Doing something you know is wrong is completely ok because lots of other people do it too.

biggles7268 · 1 year

Do smokers not know that filters are not cotton, and not easily biodegradable?

Nope.

ShorterFatterBalder · 1 year

I don’t know why they do it, it pisses me off too. And I’m a smoker. I’m the guy that picks up their butts at the springs around the area where I’m sitting. I was also the only parent that would pick up the tape, plastic, metal, and other trash from the soccer field when my daughter played. While all the other more able bodied parents sat on their asses.

MesenaLynn · 1 year

My college recently decided to ban smoking on campus... As much as I love that the air is clean and I don't have to walk through a crowd of smokers congregating around doors to buildings, I don't much like the outcome of the ban...

Originally, smokers were supposed to stay 15 feet away from the doors to buildings, but almost no one followed that rule, thus starting the ban. Well, the school removed all of the cigarette butt disposers from campus and now all the smokers throw their cig butts on the ground... I'm almost more appalled by the look of the campus than having to walk through a group of smokers to get to class.

Plus, many people still smoke! Even though our school offered free help with quitting. And, the ban isn't enforced by campus security.

Edit: I go to MNSU Mankato, for those who were asking.

I should clarify a few things that I wasn't able to put in this post, I was rushing out the door to work. I honestly don't care too much about people smoking on campus. I just wish that they would have followed the 15 foot rule that was in place. 15 feet isn't that far to walk away from a door. As for the quitting, yes, I understand that not everyone is gonna go through the campus supplied quit plan, but I know a ton of people who said they wanted to quit, but didn't have the funds to do so or really knew how (other than quitting cold turkey.) It's these people that didn't take advantage of what my school had to offer.

Our butt disposers were also really light, and not screwed to the ground or anything, so people moved them near the doors.

themangeraaad · 1 year

As an ex smoker: I don't know.

Seriously... no clue. Usually if I was walking around in the city or somewhere relatively populated (where I'd be able to find a trash can or ash tray) I'd try to throw them out properly... but in the middle of nowhere or while driving around? I had no problem just throwing a butt down anywhere.

This thought crossed my mind from time to time and nothing changed. I knew I was littering. I knew I didn't like littering. But I still kept doing it.

So yeah... idk. Immediately after smoking a cig it's just not something that you really think about. You might think of it later and realize that "I should really stop littering" but immediately after that smoke? Nope, you just throw it down w/o a 2nd thought.

qu1ckbeam · 1 year

Fear of not fully extinguishing your butt, then accidentally starting a garbage can fire?

vulcan1358 · 1 year

As a former smoker, I would brush out my cherry (lit, burning ember on cigarette) and pocket the remaining filter. When I drove, it would do the same thing but put the butts in an empty can.

However, I didn't do this with unfiltered cigarettes (rolled my own at one point) and my cigars. The handrolled ones didn't have filters, so the paper and tobacco would break down, as with cigars (all tobacco).

On a side note, how do people think it is okay to toss their gum on the sidewalk? I worked at a chain establishment where my manager would have us scrape the black, stuck on gum off the sidewalks around our store.

QEDomelets · 1 year

Who said they wouldn't litter normally?

xxxploit · 1 year

I wrap them in bread and feed them to birds.

YellowSnowDemon · 1 year

Bring back public ash trays.

GAD604 · 1 year

This is why I hand roll my smokes, shredded tobacco and rice paper (on the odd occasion I do find it appropriate to throw them somewhere) break apart and are flushed away in a way that ordinary filters don't.

Leadpipe · 1 year

When I was a smoker, I was guilty of this dissonance. I think it had to do with the concern for causing an accidental fire as overriding my concern for littering.

Sabrica · 1 year

I'm a former smoker but I'd say its because most trash isn't on fire and doesn't smell as bad.

FuzzyLoveRabbit · 1 year

Wow. Every time this question comes up, I'm impressed by how all of the smokers on Reddit are the ones who never litter, but instead pocket their butts or place them in ziplock bags.

/s

[deleted] · 1 year

Because all our ashtrays were taken away.

cerialthriller · 1 year

a lot of smokers consider it a "fuck you" to the plethora of preachy assholes you come across all the time. all those ridiculous commercials. people have turned smokers into kind of a "us against them" group.

maliaxeuphoria · 1 year

When I smoke the roll-your-owns, they don't have a filter, so I get to litter my scrap of biodegradable paper and tobacco. But when I have a regular cigarette, I almost always find an ashtray or trash can. I will admit, I do litter them sometimes when nothing is close... BUT I will pick up a bunch of cigarette butts sometimes too, so it evens out :)

2stanky · 1 year

I do it because I'm more afraid of being charged with setting a trashcan ablaze than being charged with littering.

pskim · 1 year

It looks cool to nonchalantly toss away that bitch.

DAETHMAKER · 1 year

As a smoker in Sweden, i do throw them in the designated trashcans made for butts. But when not available i throw them on the ground. Its less about being lazy and more to do with the fact that its both uncomfortable and in some cases illegal to throw them in the normal garbage bins because of the risk of the butt setting fire to the garbage.

lbmouse · 1 year

Why do gum chewers find it ok to spit gum anywhere, when they wouldn't litter "normal" trash?

DonCosenza · 1 year

Smoking is a government regulated epidemic. It kills millions of people because it grabs you by the balls. I quit 8 months ago. It was tough, but life returns to normal. Blame your government for allowing lobbying dollars to keep this cancer around. Weather it be the litter, or the smell. Dont blame the addict, blame the dealer.

peggysage · 1 year

I think smoking is kind of like owning a dog - if you're doing it, better clean after yourself.

Smoker myself, I very rarely throw butts on the ground, I rather use a napkin or something to contain it while I reach the nearest trash can.

negatievekarma · 1 year

I litter butts along with regular trash.

I just wait until I see no cars and dump everything that doesn't have my name on it right out the window.

Fuck the environment, it aint ever done nothin for me.

lessthanrob · 1 year

Cigarette butts are pleasing to the eye and friendly to the environment. They provide excellent insulation for bird nests and are used by insects as flotation devices when they are trying to have a little summer fun.

gl77 · 1 year

Because FUCK YOU! That's why.

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