Adrian Grenier, Tobacco Free CA, July 25, 2017<\/p>\n
Sadly, cigarette butts aren\u2019t just harmless pieces of paper and cotton. They\u2019re actually toxic waste and leak hundreds of chemicals and known carcinogens into the environment. Right now, about 4.5 trillion discarded cigarette butts are trashing the planet, posing health risks to birds, fish, wildlife, and people.<\/p>\n
Harmful to Your Health, Harmful to the Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n While the health risks associated with tobacco-smoking are well-known, many are unfamiliar with the severe harm that cigarette butts can have on the environment They\u2019re everywhere: on streets, on beaches, in parks, and in the oceans and waterways\u2014with long-term negative effects. \u00a0As Adrian Grenier explains, \u201cthis stuff doesn\u2019t go away for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Cigarette Butts Leak Toxic Chemicals<\/strong><\/p>\n Cigarette butts leak hundreds of toxic chemicals like lead, arsenic, and nicotine into the environment. Newsflash\u2014these are some of the same chemicals found in secondhand smoke, and once upon a time, paint, rat poison and insecticides. Additionally, cigarette butts are the #1 item found on beaches and roadways, accounting for more than one-third (34 percent) of the total litter collected in California\u2014a task that costs $41 million annually to clean up.<\/p>\n This video is more than just a wake-up call to the problem of cigarette butts as toxic waste. It\u2019s a call to action\u2014 a call to make Big Tobacco come clean. To find out more about how you can hold Big Tobacco accountable, visit TobaccoFreeCA.com\/Come-Clean<\/a>.<\/p>\n