Single-use filters in cigarettes are the latest to be targeted by New York lawmakers who are pushing to ban them with the Tobacco Product Waste Reduction Act, claiming that they cause harm to personal health and the environment.
Broome County public health educator, Laura Kelly, said “Cigarette butts are the number one form of litter in the world. The more they stay in our environment, the more they are leaching toxic chemicals into our waterways and our air.”
According to Kelly, depending on the environment, cigarette butts can take 18 months to 10 years to decompose and it does more harm to people’s lungs than how it was marketed toward smokers. If the act were to be passed, the sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes with single-use filters would be prohibited.