Friday, March 19, 1999
No butts about it: Smoke make readers mad
Readers of The Enquirer seem to find discarded cigarette butts a drag. Here are some responses:
• A drag at parks: My husband and I are volunteers at a nearby county park. One of the things we do is pick up trash. Cigarette butts are, by far, the majority (number-wise, not size-wise) of things we pick up. The most irritating things smokers do is empty their automobile ashtrays in the parking lots or flip their butts down right in front of us!
— Margaret Buresch, 57,
Finneytown
• Embarrass them: I think most acts of “thoughtlessness” are committed because nobody takes the time to embarrass anyone anymore. A little embarrassment goes a long way. Some ways that I like to bring attention to those who don't take the time to dispose of cigarette butts:
1. Picking up their cigarette butt and handing it back to them, saying “Excuse me, but I think you dropped this.”
2. If the person is out of immediate earshot, I'll hurriedly call out “excuse me...miss/sir...” and they wait for me to catch up. When I get there and say, “I think you dropped your cigarette butt back there and I'm sure you didn't mean to leave it behind.”
3. If close to an ashtray, I will pick up the butt and put it in there. Then I will call to the person “Don't worry, I'll put this away for you.”
4. If driving, and I watch someone throw out their cigarette, I will honk, and wave while flashing a sarcastic smile and pointing back to the bouncing butt.
Occasionally, I hear the “smart aleck” or “jerk” (and much worse) under someone's breath, but that just makes me smile as I tell them, “And you have a nice day too.”
— Derek Cedillo, 25,
Liberty Township
• Bad taste at Blue Ash: My worst experience is Taste of Blue Ash. The concerts are great, but if you've been to one, you know those hot August nights are elbow to elbow, kneecap to kneecap. I've seen butts smashed into bushes, newly planted flowers, well-groomed grass, and all over the plaza. If the City of Blue Ash was somehow able to prohibit smoking, at least on the immediate concert plaza, it would probably save money on the clean-up crew; it would not have to pick up thousands of butts from the sidewalks, grass, landscaping, streets, and courtyard area.
— Maxine Kopel, Blue Ash
• World is their ashtray: Pay close attention to the entrance to any building almost anywhere, whether it's a side or front entrance: the walkways, foyers and grounds are all littered with cigarette butts. And, they're usually lying right below the receptacles that have been provided for their use. Pay particular attention to wherever smokers hang out and talk: you'll find the area littered with butts.
Five years ago, my newfound joy in having a sunroof in my car was dampened when I felt I had to dodge the cigarettes flying out of cars ahead of me on the expressways.
— Carol Vanover, 52,
West Harrison, Ind.
• What to tell the kids: I have pointed out to my kids that cigarette butts are litter. I wish there was some way to educate drivers that even though the thing in their car is called an “ashtray” they can still park their butts there!
— Brenda Thorup, 41, Mason
• Give 'em tickets: It's really as if they don't see it as litter, but it is. It seems like it is the smoker's revenge on not being permitted to smoke in many publicplaces these days. They say, “If they won't let me smoke inside, I will just pollute outside.” I think they should have more strict laws against it. A few $5 tickets might make more people think twice before flicking.
— Kim Fain, 34, Finneytown
• Special deliveries: My family and I are non-smokers, as are our friends and most people we spend time with. We have often been perplexed how cigarette butts are ending up in our yard and on our walkway, given our utter dislike of such a dirty habit. After a bit of investigating, we have concluded that our government-paid mail delivery person is disposing of the butts, some still lit, on our property. Now, that's a drag!
— Toni Smith, 28, Springfield Township
• Society too tolerant: I am absolutely stumped how society tolerates this.
My daughter was a patient at Children's Hospital a year ago. The main entrance to the hospital was constantly populated by large groups of smokers, and the ground was covered in butts around the doorway. It was really unpleasant to enter and leave the building.
— Dr. Rick M. Singel, 46,
Hyde Park
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