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Your cigarette butts are killing Nemo!

4cbln3

WTF are skin tags?!
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
3,159
Link  http://www.staradvertiser.com/featurespremium/20131013_No_butts_on_the_beach.html?id=227561871
 
Not wanting this to turn political, there are more pressing issues at hand. However, since I swim/play at many of these parks and beaches I see just as much Starb*cks/ food wrappers/ plastic grocery bags/ tourist literature, etc. etc. being blown on the sand than cigarette butts. 
 
A law and concentrated effort by environmental groups are just a band aid, when I watch people litter anything I realize they must do this at home too so it won't stop until they make a change regardless of where they are at. I see more people flick their cig butts out the window when I am driving in the streets of the city. Hell, a lot of us don't even have time to to go the beach because we work so much. 
 
Plus, even if you put your butts/trash in the nearby receptacles, the homeless will just take it all apart looking for food/drinks/a discarded cig with extra tokes on it. 
 
<rant off> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I never understood why the cigarette industry could/did not come up with a filter which would decompose in short order. All bitching aside about cigarettes, it's the butts which serve to remind people to complain about the existence of cigarettes.
 
As a cigar and pipe smoker I shake my head every time I see a person flick their butt out the window or drop it on the ground.  It annoys me to no end.  If we lose our rights as smokers it will be damn near solely at the hands of cigarette smokers.
 
Sorry, even the digital daily paper needs to keep operating, John. I cut and pasted it for you guys to read. Not as friendly to the eyes as I'd hoped. 
 
The French couple sat on Kuhio Beach, enjoying the sun and surf, surrounded by other visitors doing the same.
He was tanning, and so was she, while smoking a cigarette.
Enter Suzanne Frazer, co-founder of the Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii, also known as B.E.A.C.H., a nonprofit group that pushed for a smoking ban at Hono­­lulu's beach parks.
Frazer introduced herself with an "aloha," and although the couple didn't speak much English, she held up a no-smoking poster, explaining that smoking is now prohibited on the beach behind the Duke Kaha­na­­moku statue.
20131013_fea_smokingCH.jpg

Stephane and Celine Soeur of Strasbourg, France, who were on a weeklong vacation, didn't know about the new law.
Celine Soeur shrugged and, without much ado, put out her cigarette.
"People are misinformed," said Frazer. "Either they think it doesn't start at all till next year, or they think that it's just the beach and not the whole beach park."
Since July 21 a smoking ban has been in force at most Waikiki beaches, including Kuhio Beach Park, Duke Kaha­na­­moku Beach Park and Kapiolani Beach Park, which stretches from the Kapa­hulu Groin to Kai­mana Beach, as well as Kapiolani Park and Sandy Beach Park.
At Ala Moana Beach Park, however, smoking is prohibited only on the sandy areas — for now.
Starting Jan. 1, smoking will be prohibited at all of Hono­lulu's nearly 300 parks, including all of Ala Moana Beach Park and some 4,000 bus stops. City playgrounds, tennis courts, swimming pools, botanical gardens and recreation areas also are covered.
Last month the city began putting up metal signs that read "Smoking Prohibited by Law" at beach parks where the ordinance is already in effect. The word "smoking" has also been added to the list of activities prohibited at beach parks, which at Ala Moana includes alcoholic beverages, fireworks and open fires.
Fines for smoking are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second within the same year and $500 for the third.
To date, Honolulu police officers have issued no citations for smoking in areas where the ban is in effect, according to spokes­woman Michelle Yu.
"At this point the emphasis is on educating beach- and park-goers," she said.
Since early September, Frazer and B.E.A.C.H. co-founder Dean Otsuki and volunteers have set up informational tents at beaches around Oahu, with postcards and fliers about the new no-smoking law. They've also reached out to hotel operators, tour guides and lifeguards.
"Just about every smoker I've talked to has thought that butts were made of biodegradable materials," said Frazer. "They're not. They are made of plastic and toxic chemicals. When that butt washes into the ocean, those chemicals leach into the water. So it's not only a health problem, but an environmental problem."
The butts can also spend years buried under layers of sand and be washed from shore to shore.
ENVIRONMENTAL groups like B.E.A.C.H., the Surfrider Foundation and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii joined forces with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii to push for the smoking ban at beach parks.
The reason is simple: Cigarette butts are consistently at the top of the list of items scooped up from the sand during monthly beach cleanups.
At Kakaako Waterfront Park in March, volunteers for the Surfrider Foundation Hawaii picked up litter, including about 11,000 cigarette butts, according to Hawaii coordinator Stuart Coleman. At a beach cleanup at Magic Island and Ala Moana Beach Park in August, Surfrider volunteers sifted 3,336 cigarette butts out of the sand.
"As far as our mission is concerned, it really is the health of the coastlines," said Coleman. "By numbers, cigarette butts are the most littered item at all our beach cleanups."
At a cleanup at Nana­kuli, Pokai Bay and Makaha in September, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii picked up about 1,300 pounds of trash, "with cigarette butts being, once again, the No. 1 thing found during the cleanup," said Executive Director Kahi Pacarro.
B.E.A.C.H. tallied 1,805 cigarette butts picked up at Sandy Beach on Sept. 28 but collected as many as 5,288 on Earth Day in April 2007, when the organization was part of a litter prevention campaign that offered "butt holders" to smokers.
Frazer sees educating the public at beaches where the law is already in effect as a way to prevent more butts from getting into the ocean.
"We can save 160,000 butts across these beaches between now and the end of the year if we can get the word out," said Frazer.
Jessica Yamauchi, director of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, said cigarette butts on beaches and playgrounds pose a hazard to children, who often pick them up and might ingest them.
Amanda Petel, a mother of two from San Francisco who stays at the Hilton Hawaiian Village every year with her family, welcomed the smoking ban.
"We used to come and sit on the beach, get up and move because someone was smoking," she said while visiting Duke Kaha­na­moku Beach. "My kids hate it. When you come on vacation, you don't want to have to worry about it."
But nearby, smoker Fred Long of Makiki, who was picking up plastic bottles to redeem at a recycling center, said the new no-smoking law was an infringement on his civil liberties.
"It's a dirty, filthy habit and I love it," said Long, adding he would continue to smoke by the public restrooms, where no-smoking signs recently went up. "I'll ignore it. I'm a responsible smoker. I take care of my trash."
With a few exceptions, most people have been compliant, according to Frazer.
B.E.A.C.H. testified in support of smoke-free beaches in Hawaii as early as 2007, when Hawaii County was considering an ordinance. The Big Island banned smoking at its beaches in 2008.
On Oahu, smoking has been banned within Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve since 1993.
With the new city ordinance, Hono­lulu joins more than 150 other cities — from California and Washington to Massachusetts, Maine and New Jersey — that have banned beach smoking, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation.
The Honolulu ban comes on top of a 2006 state law that prohibits smoking in enclosed and partially enclosed areas as well as within 20 feet of doorways. The University of Hawaii at Manoa recently announced it would ban tobacco use and e-cigarettes on campus starting Jan. 1.
 


cabaiguan juan said:
I never understood why the cigarette industry could/did not come up with a filter which would decompose in short order. All bitching aside about cigarettes, it's the butts which serve to remind people to complain about the existence of cigarettes.
 
Me too, I like that idea. We do have a law which only allows "fire safe cigarettes" to be imported in the islands. They all have this thin ring repeated throughout the paper portion which kills the cherry on the cig every inch or so. Supposedly, to help stave off fires from unattended cigs when people crash from partying too hard. It works. 
 
We have a new Winery here that prior to it's opening, I talked with the owners about their feeling on allowing smoking at their business.  Somehow I was able to convince them to give it a try.  But, like other places that aren't too hip on smoking, they didn't provide ashtrays or any other way for smokers to  dispose of their butts.  So instead of trying to keep the smoking privilege alive, smokers were putting their cigarettes out on the patio and the business walls.  Way too much for the business owner to have to tolerate, so he banned them.  Again, I asked him for leniency and he put receptacles out for butts and now it is wait and see.  It's a shame how  A FEW INCONSIDERATE PEOPLE  can destroy a good thing.  :angry:
 
broblues said:
  It's a shame how  A FEW INCONSIDERATE PEOPLE  can destroy a good thing.  :angry:
 Unfortunately, this seems to be a general trend in many aspects of life today. Sometimes inconsiderate and sometimes just trying to cheat the system.
Back to the main topic, how does the cigarette butt litter compare to other litter by mass?
 
I had to ponder how to give an answer to that one James and I just can't give a valid response. Cig butts are more visible since they pile up near corners where leaves/twigs gather and lighter trash blows all over the grassy/ sandy areas. The butts people bury in the sand when they tan on the beach won't surface till the wind brings them up or your kid digs it up playing sand castle. 
 
Like Broblues mentioned, if given no ashtray/receptacle smokers will bury the butts in the sand, throw it in the corner near a wall or parking curb, or find the nearest coconut tree and fill one of the natural pockmarks in the bark. Granted, there are conscientious smokers that will never damage the earth, carrying their butts to an trashcan no matter how far it may be. When I was younger I was guilty of being a bad smoker, that's how I know where to look for butts. 
 
The focus of my rant was that smokers are being targeted by easily passing laws which will fine a person, but an already existing littering law just sits with hardly anyone being fined. Now, if they had a law that banned 2 piece bikinis or speedo's on certain body shapes, I'd be okay with that.  :laugh:
 
4cbln3 said:
Now, if they had a law that banned 2 piece bikinis or speedo's on certain body shapes, I'd be okay with that.  :laugh:
Totally cool with this. One small caveat, certain body shapes should requie a two piece bikini.
 
All I can say is that smokers need to have a little bit more self respect!!
I smoke cigs, I never throw them out of the car window, or throw them on the ground... or anywhere other than the trash can at home.
It PISSES me off when I see people do it... if your gonna smoke, take responsibility for your action & don't effect others with it!!
 
I grew up in Hawaii, it's sad that they had to ban smoking on beaches, but I suppose being most are irresponsible ____s (choose a 4 letter word), it had to be done.
 
BigBear said:
All I can say is that smokers need to have a little bit more self respect!!
I smoke cigs, I never throw them out of the car window, or throw them on the ground... or anywhere other than the trash can at home.
It PISSES me off when I see people do it... if your gonna smoke, take responsibility for your action & don't effect others with it!!
 
I grew up in Hawaii, it's sad that they had to ban smoking on beaches, but I suppose being most are irresponsible ____s (choose a 4 letter word), it had to be done.
Howzit BigBear! Where did you live? 
 
I realized when you mentioned self respect that that was something I didn't practice growing up and did my share of damage. Now that I'm more aware of my footprint in this world at least I can say I'm trying to make up for that. The one caveat to those new e-cigs gaining popularity here is that there's no rubbish. 
 
And for Coops, I'd scarf those fish up with some sweet chili sauce and lime!  :thumbs:
 
4cbln3 said:
Howzit BigBear! Where did you live? 
I realized when you mentioned self respect that that was something I didn't practice growing up and did my share of damage. Now that I'm more aware of my footprint in this world at least I can say I'm trying to make up for that. The one caveat to those new e-cigs gaining popularity here is that there's no rubbish. 
Howzit!!
I lived in Hawaii Kai way back when, My Dad is still living there.
I did my fair share of damage when I was young as well, I suppose my rant was regarding those that should know better; effectively teaching the younger generations :sign:  (as if, right!!).
 
Hawaii Kai has really changed, some of us can only dream of living there. The house prices are insane! Let me know if you ever visit your dad, smokes are on me! 
 
Dave 
 
When I was there last, several years ago, I went to Hawaii Kai & it had changed considerably.
Hopefully I'll be going for a visit here in a year or 2, I'll hit you up!!
 
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