(Facts taken from Cigarette Butts as Litter: Toxic As Well As Ugly)

Everyone agrees that litter is ugly. Most of us recognize that it's harmful to our planet. Despite this, billions of cigarette filters are deposited on public roads, highways, sidewalks and beaches every year. These filters, popularly known as cigarette butts are becoming a global environmental problem. While these filters look like paper or cotton, both biodegradable materials, they are in fact madbe from cellulose acetatem, a strong, durable type of plastic. Like all plastic compounds, cigarette filters are not readily biodegradable, and can take fifteen years or more before breaking down into powder.

Not only are these butts ugly, but they are lethal. Weather forces and human actions cause these butts to fall into storm drains, streams and groundwater aquifers, where the toxic chemicals absorbed by the filters leach out over time and contaminate the earth's water sources. Remember that plants, wildlife as well as people and pets, all have to drink this water.

If you're a smoker, do the earth a favour. Place your used filters in ashtrays, or if they're cool, in litter receptacles around town. You could be saving your own life by doing this, as well as saving your government millions of dollars of your tax money.