Ban cigarette butts, which litter our local environment

Recent years have found local communities banning single-use grocery bags and polystyrene containers due, in part, to the likelihood for these items to litter our local environment. I believe the next piece of pervasive litter that needs additional regulation is the cigarette butt.

Cigarette butts are typically the most common piece of litter removed from our local beaches during coastal cleanup days, and even the sandboxes in our local “smoke-free” parks are not immune to becoming ashtrays. These single-use cigarette filters are full of toxins and are a threat to our wildlife, pets and children.

I strongly encourage leaders at all levels of government to work toward eliminating this waste. Focused enforcement of anti-littering laws for people who illegally discard cigarette butts and an outright ban on single-use filters, as was proposed by Monterey-area Assemblyman Mark Stone, should be pursued.

A call for additional government regulation is not something I make lightly. Unfortunately, a majority of smokers have shown themselves incapable of disposing of their cigarette butts responsibly. Studies have found that 75 to 92 percent of smokers litter cigarette butts, but you don’t need a study to tell you that. The evidence is all around you.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Ban cigarette butts, which litter our local environment."