Why is the dropping of cigarette ends now a problem?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co...roblem-survey-reveals

Why has the dropping of cigarette ends suddenly become a problem?

Years ago when almost every adult smoked, I can never remember such a problem, could it be that in those days the streets were regularly swept clean, by a man with a hand cart and brush.

[Booldawg]

I remember my mum telling me that hard up people would often pick the cigarette butts up off the streets and use the baccy to make their own roll-ups. This was in 1940s Brighton. TBH I dont think there's many hard up people in Brighton and if there was they'd be too scared to bend over to pick up a cigarette end.

I do hear that plenty of people like to pick up fags there now. Sorry, this is turning into one big gay joke.

[ludwig]

'could it be that in those days the streets were regularly swept clean, by a man with a hand cart and brush. '

Street cleaner is a job that shouldn't exist. As jno said, why should we have to employ people to go around picking up other peoples crap, when what should really be happening is that people shouldn't be dropping crap every where in the first place. There is no excuse for dropping any kind of litter anywhere, gum, fag ends, anything.

[craft1948]

I moved to my present address 3 years ago and was amazed to see a street cleaner with his brush and 'barrow' as I hadn't seen one in years. He wanders up and down the street twice a week but I have yet to see him in action.
I am a smoker and have a portable ashtray but was still taken aback when someone was fined for flicking cigarette ash out of a car window.......how could they find the evidence and why bother.....

[ludwig]

A fine for flicking cigarette ash seems over the top, like fining someone who farts for air pollution. The trouble is that you have to have a zero tolerance approach because nothing else is workable. If you start trying to say certains types of garbage or certain amounts of garbage are ok to dump in the street because it's a minimal amount or bio-degradable or whatever, it just becomes ridiculous so you have to draw the line at nothing.

[ELVIS68]

Although I`m against people who throw rubbish on the floor and out of car windows, I am not against people who throw fag butts on the floor as birds use these for nest making

[ludwig]

..so that's where all the birds are going - they're all dying of flipping cancer.

[mrs.chappie]

As a youngster I can remember walking the streets, looking for "tab ends" for my mum. Nobody seemed to worry about the hygiene aspect of it in those days. Plus, lots of folk couldn't afford ready-made fags.

[ELVIS68]

Nest building doesn`t cause cancer, it`s eating all the McDonalds sh!t that people drop that causes it

[joko]

my boyfriend has been fined for dropping a cigarette on the floor - he fought it and lost.

the irony is that on this occasion he hadnt actually discarded it but had just dropped it...it was knocked out of his hand by his mates elbow i think...he picked it up an was considering carrying on smoking it but he was swooped upon by an CSO...

he does still drop them though despite me telling him off for it...so secretly im glad he got fined...but sad that he hasnt learnt from it...
it really is almost an automatic habit though..like gum...there seems to be a subconscious feeling that cigs an matches etc dont count as littler because they are small ...weird

[MattA777]

Nobody has mentioned secondary schools.....Poor pupils have nowhere to cast a fag after a hard days work! They too should be provided with portable ashtrays although they don’t seem to mind casting fag butts along with major food trays and anything they want to throw away! After all I’m guessing the younger pupils are exempt from fines??
What they should be taught is there is NO SUCH THING AS ‘THROW AWAY’ - Does it mean into space?? Why would anyone litter the planet we live on? Take some pride in your city/country.
I’m sorry, but smoking is an abomination!- It took my lifelong friend away from me with throat cancer. Please, give it up....