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cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 6:28 am
by dingelberry
The next village idiot I see throw a cigarette butt out the car window will taste the back of my hand .
Thanks for the space for my pet hate ( one of many).

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 7:05 am
by Strider
You can report them online via the EPA website.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 7:55 am
by GPSGuided
What will the EPA do? What can they do? Health warnings and jacking up the tobacco tax are probably the most effective ways to reduce cigarette butts out there. Early death probably helps too.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 8:01 am
by Strider
GPSGuided wrote:What will the EPA do? What can they do?

It appears to depend on the state. Some will issue a fine without question, though it appears NSW take the educational approach.

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/warr/littervehicles.htm

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 8:50 am
by walkerchris77
I was sitting at the traffic light. Man throws but out window. My wife get out if car, pick up the lit but and throws it back in the window and said a few words in front of the mans wife and kids in the back seat.
Lol

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 11:55 am
by GPSGuided
walkerchris77 wrote:I was sitting at the traffic light. Man throws but out window. My wife get out if car, pick up the lit but and throws it back in the window and said a few words in front of the mans wife and kids in the back seat.
Lol

Gold!Please thank your wife for me.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 2:26 pm
by maddog
The EPA have better things to do than respond to such trifles. If people are really concerned with such things the RFS are the more appropriate body to complain to. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 30 Oct, 2014 7:38 pm
by Hallu
They DO fine people. A friend of mine threw a ciggie butt outside his car window in Melbourne and got fined 70$ for it thanks to this witness system. I don't know if they also need to have the car on CCTV (it was in Melbourne's CBD, so there are many) besides the witness's testimony, but the system worked. My friend never did it again.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 31 Oct, 2014 7:28 pm
by perfectlydark
Ive wondered about that..like if someone has it in for you can they just 'dob you in' and you have no right of reply?

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 31 Oct, 2014 8:03 pm
by maddog
perfectlydark wrote:Ive wondered about that..like if someone has it in for you can they just 'dob you in' and you have no right of reply?

Consequences of false accusations

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 31 Oct, 2014 8:27 pm
by Hallu
perfectlydark wrote:Ive wondered about that..like if someone has it in for you can they just 'dob you in' and you have no right of reply?


Well as I said, they must have at least checked on CCTV whether his car was in that area at the time claimed by the witness or not. I don't know though if it's necessary to catch the "offense" on film as well or if the witness testimony is enough.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Wed 05 Nov, 2014 1:29 am
by earthgrace
Butts are a pet peeve on the trail.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 06 Nov, 2014 1:09 pm
by stepbystep
I've taken to casually going and picking up peoples butts when I see them throw them down on the ground. Don't say a word to them. I've had a couple of interesting reactions.
One woman abused me! Another young guy came up to me 2 or 3 minutes later 100 metres down the street, apologised and said he'd never do that again. Most people are just surprised someone will pick up their rubbish, I think I've done it 6 or 7 times now.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 06 Nov, 2014 4:19 pm
by Eljimberino
Drive a car? Air pollution is worse than cigarette butts.


Ride On

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 6:49 am
by Supertramp
Eljimberino wrote:Drive a car? Air pollution is worse than cigarette butts.


Ride On


Really?..Are you forgetting the fact that cigarette butts are a huge cause of bushfires each season?
That is the main reason why I would like all smokers to stop throwing cigarettes out their windows, it can put lives at risk.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 7:57 am
by walkerchris77
Supertramp wrote:
Eljimberino wrote:Drive a car? Air pollution is worse than cigarette butts.


Ride On


Really?..Are you forgetting the fact that cigarette butts are a huge cause of bushfires each season?
That is the main reason why I would like all smokers to stop throwing cigarettes out their windows, it can put lives at risk.



Some of us have to drive cars., trucks etc. Next time you need an ambo or police etc ask them to walk to your aid.

As for the epa. I reported a smoker dropping a butt. The offender denied it. The epa asked if i was willing to go to court and they would use their lawyers. I said yes. The man ended up just paying the $210 fine. :D

cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 9:37 am
by Eljimberino
It's a matter of perspective. I find it interesting that even on a bushwalking forum there is a mentality that cars are a given and reserve a special place in our environment.

Cars cause much more destruction than a few cigarette butts thrown out of windows, lit or unlit.

A family sized car is a lot of cigarette butts littering the place. Call me naive and unrealistic but that is the way I see it. I took a study of my ecological footprint. The car was easy to jettison.

It is my belief that our environment and health would be in better condition without cigarettes and cars, but cars are the bigger problem.


Ride On

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 1:11 pm
by dingelberry
it's not about whats the biggest problem facing our environment it was about me having lost my house to a fire started by a nob head tossing a butt.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 10 Nov, 2014 7:25 pm
by Hallu
Eljimberino wrote:It's a matter of perspective. I find it interesting that even on a bushwalking forum there is a mentality that cars are a given and reserve a special place in our environment.

Cars cause much more destruction than a few cigarette butts thrown out of windows, lit or unlit.

A family sized car is a lot of cigarette butts littering the place. Call me naive and unrealistic but that is the way I see it. I took a study of my ecological footprint. The car was easy to jettison.

It is my belief that our environment and health would be in better condition without cigarettes and cars, but cars are the bigger problem.


Ride On


Kill your dog then. With all the red meat they eat, the ecological footprint is worse than that of a car, or of a family of 4 with no car. Living in Australia with no car is mostly unrealistic unless you live in a big city. It's just as unrealistic as asking people to kill their dog.
What would be possible though is : stop producing wine in industrial quantities and with ridiculous irrigation and pesticide policies, stop raising cattle by their millions just for worldwide exportation, and stop producing almost all of the Australian electricity with coal. We'd have better tasting wines (yes Aussie wine mostly suck compared to euro wine), better tasting beef (again, euro beef is far better overall, despite some good grass fed beef in rural Tassie or Vic), and clean energy.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Sun 16 Nov, 2014 7:38 pm
by Pteropus
Related to this thread, smoking has now been banned in NSW National Parks -> http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/no-smoking-faqs

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 17 Nov, 2014 5:51 pm
by Swampy460
I heard this on the radio the other day , I wonder how they will police it.

Swampy

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Mon 17 Nov, 2014 7:43 pm
by Gadgetgeek
FLIR cameras and water bombers.....

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Tue 18 Nov, 2014 6:01 am
by dingelberry
Maybe have the rangers running around with big sticks ?

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Wed 26 Nov, 2014 1:13 pm
by neil_fahey
Eljimberino wrote:It's a matter of perspective. I find it interesting that even on a bushwalking forum there is a mentality that cars are a given and reserve a special place in our environment.

Cars cause much more destruction than a few cigarette butts thrown out of windows, lit or unlit.

A family sized car is a lot of cigarette butts littering the place. Call me naive and unrealistic but that is the way I see it. I took a study of my ecological footprint. The car was easy to jettison.

It is my belief that our environment and health would be in better condition without cigarettes and cars, but cars are the bigger problem.


Ride On


I find it interesting that you're on a bushwalking forum sticking up for people who throw their cigarette butts everywhere? :shock:

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 27 Nov, 2014 2:00 pm
by puredingo
I don't think he was defending the act Neil, just presenting some comparisons.

I'm a smoker but so enviro sound i actually eat my ciggie butts when that that last drag leaves me in flavour country....

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Thu 27 Nov, 2014 2:19 pm
by neil_fahey
Yeah, I guess I can see that... Of course cars are worse though. Does that mean we shouldn't be pissed at people who drop their cigarette butts?

I'm a smoker too (constantly trying and failing at the whole quitting thing) but cigarette butt litter is my pet hate and I'll happily dob in anyone I see drop one (by the way, the VIC EPA definitely do issue fines without question). Have done so many times.

The NSW rule is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. On an overnight hike (in between quitting times) I would probably smoke 3-4 cigarettes and have never once annoyed anyone with my smoke or left a mess. Creating this un-policeable rule just means that I'm a criminal now. It won't stop anyone who'd normally drop their butts from dropping their butts.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 28 Nov, 2014 12:47 am
by GPSGuided
puredingo wrote:I'm a smoker but so enviro sound i actually eat my ciggie butts when that that last drag leaves me in flavour country....

So, you advocate burying those butts, eventually?

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 28 Nov, 2014 2:08 am
by icefest
GPSGuided wrote:
puredingo wrote:I'm a smoker but so enviro sound i actually eat my ciggie butts when that that last drag leaves me in flavour country....

So, you advocate burying those butts, eventually?

An interesting meta-analysis of cig butt eating containing the phrase: "severe toxic outcomes due to butt consumption are rare"

No info on intestinal biodegradation of them though I suspect our gut can do little against cellulose.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 28 Nov, 2014 6:13 am
by GPSGuided
Disguised disposal.

Re: cigarette butts

Posted: Fri 28 Nov, 2014 6:36 am
by Overlandman
Back a few years ago Parks were handing out 35mm camera film canisters for smokers on the Overland Track, to put their butts in, Digital cameras killed that idea !
Regards Overlandman