A question for smokers

[Backdrifter]

Be honest: do you throw your used fag-ends on the ground? And if so, why?

I've given up commenting on this to those who do it. I'm always polite but get mostly ignored or sworn at. I'm sure most of these people wouldn't throw a used tissue on the ground, but seem to regard a fag-end as somehow not counting as litter.

I've seen people do it right near bins too. I had an argument with some colleagues once, who defended doing this. They said, you can't throw it in a bin as it might catch fire. So I suggested stubbing the cigarette out first. On what? they asked. The side of the bin, maybe? But that would singe the bin!

It's so widespread now I don't suppose it's ever going to make a difference anyway - pavements and gutters are peppered with fag-ends. But I wondered if anyone here who does it might like to explain why they think it's okay.

[beso]

Once again the smokers here clearly show their arrogance and the fact they think it is their right to throw butts on the street.

[cazzz1975]

the kids near me discard all their rubbish and chewing gum on the pavement, I think chewing gum is worse than cigarette ends

[clokey]

Dream on

// it's the horrid smell of smoking I can't stand, I have no problem with anyone smoking, it's just the smell of it and the smell on them that I don't like. //

You can tell the sort of answers that a question like this will get.

[craft1948]

Sorry beso...........where have I been arrogant?

[Prudie]

I haven't noticed one smoker on this thread saying it's OK to throw butts in the street??

[Mamyalynne]

I always use a portable ashtray.

[Mick-Talbot]

i too have .............................A question for smokers



WHY?

[mike11111]

I wonder, Mr. Meldrew, if you employ the same zeal in remonstrating with those young ladies who drop the remnants of their Gregg's pasties in the gutter, along with the charming young men who discard their used condoms in like place.

[R1Geezer]

smokers are the most selfish disgusting creatures, they don't care about littering or the effect their disgusting habit has on others, they will smoke at home and in the car or indeed anywhere they can get away with it, they will even gas their own children rather than wait for a fix. They wonder why the civilised masses finally managed to ban it in most places when the answer lies in their own selfishness. Where I work they have a lovely smoking area with all the facilities for binning and stubbing, guess what? they are knee deep in fag buts! Filthy scum if you ask me.

[boxtops]

..or Macdonalds polystyrene boxes, I am fed up with picking them up too.

[joeluke]

Smokers should take their rubbish home with them like the rest of us have to, instead of littering the streets with their fag ends

[NoMercy]

"Filthy scum" is the sort of description I would reserve for hooligans and rapists and paedos.

Get down off your high horse, R1

[classylady60]

clokey my response firstly was to "Whilst in now way condoning the littering of the pavement, you strike me as one of those people who just can't let an opportunity pass to have a dig at someone who smokes, for whatever reason. You sound like the type who, even if there is a fresh gale blowing, you will furiously flap your newspaper should an guy make the misfortune of lighting up within 20 yards of you in the street". I felt that I needed to put one non smokers side to the above "accusation", I think Mike was justified in giving his opinion and therefore I feel justified in responding.

I did comment on the litter problem - I don't like any sort of littering but as the backdrifter has said, this particular problem is bad and seems there's more of that type of littering than most IMO.

[beso]

Several posters have indicated they think it is an unfair focus on smokers and defend these litterers by comparing to other forms of litter.

The fact is that the vast majority of litter items are cigarette butts. Where I live they outnumber all other forms of litter by at least an order of magnitude.

[joggerjayne]

In defence of smokers ... before you semd the American Special Forces to shoot them all ...

The tidal lung volume (normal breath) of an adult is 0.5 litres.

A cigarette gives about 20 drags.

So, smoking 1 cigarette, an adult will breathe 10 litres of fumes into the air.

A small 1,000cc car, idling at 900rpm displaces 900 litres of fumes.

If a smoker smokes 20 a day, that's 200 litres of fumes.

So a 20 a day smoker takes over 4 day to produce as many fumes as your small car produces in 60 seconds.

And if you are driving along at 3,600rpm, you car will belch out those fumes every 15 seconds.

If you make one 20 minute journey each day, you have belched out more fumes in week than a heavy smoker produces in 7 years !!

And before you wonder which fumes are the more unpleasant, go and kneel down behind your exhaust pipe with the engine running! (actually, no, don't ... seriously).

So ... all you anti smokers ... I hope you don't make any 20 minute journeys this week, otherwise you'll have to stop driving for 7 years to let the smokers catch up with all the filthy stink you have produced.

[Backdrifter]

Oh dear. A simple question about why some smokers choose to litter has turned into smokers claiming this is an anti-smokers thread. Some people here are having a very hard time believing me when I say it was not intended as an anti-smoking thread.

@mike1111 - I don't get why you're having a problem with understanding me; I've already said that yes, I have reproached people who drop litter apart from butts. Maybe not specifically Greggs wrappers and I admit I've never seen a man throw a used condom in the gutter, but others, yes! I hate littering generally and have approached some people about it, butt-droppers AND others.

@redhelen - yes, it's about smokers who litter with their butts, but it's not about smoking and as I have now said about 3 or 4 times, I'm not anti-smoking. If you're going to choose to not believe me, so be it.

And I agree that no smoker here has actually said they do discard their butts on the ground.