Keep Lubbock Beautiful launches cigarette butt litter campaign - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

From City of Lubbock:

Keep Lubbock Beautiful will take part in a national program to reduce the impact of cigarette butt litter, the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. In its first year, Keep Lubbock Beautiful will target cigarette butt litter throughout the high traffic areas in downtown with a concentrated and sustained effort.

The program's strategic approach involves all stakeholders in the cigarette litter problem, including businesses, law enforcement, local governments, community organizations and, importantly, smokers themselves. Mayors and community leaders nationwide are increasingly seeking solutions to the litter issue.

The Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program tackles the issue by integrating four proven approaches:

• encouraging enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litter;
• raising awareness about the issue using public service messages;
• placing ash receptacles at transition points such as near entrances to public buildings; and
• distributing pocket ashtrays to adult smokers.

On Saturday, August 11, Keep Lubbock Beautiful will distribute free pocket ashtrays to smokers at the Farmers and Arts Market in the Tornado Gallery in the Depot District. 

In 2011, there were 252 grant-supported implementations across the country including downtowns, roadways, beaches, parks, marinas, colleges/universities, tourist spots, and at special events.  The communities reported an average 54 percent reduction in littered butts as a result of implementing the program.

"The cigarette litter prevention program has proven effective.  Simple actions like installing ash receptacles and distributing pocket ashtrays have made a big difference in decreasing litter and ultimately keeping communities beautiful, "said coordinator, Raquel Quigley.  "Using this program to bring attention to the issue, we expect similar reductions in Lubbock."

Tobacco products, including cigarette butts, are the most-littered item in America, representing nearly 38 percent of all items, according to "Litter in America," the Keep America Beautiful landmark 2009 study of litter and littering behavior.  This research also showed that individuals who would never litter items such as beverage cans or paper packaging may not consider tossing cigarette butts on the ground "littering".  

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful has field-tested and expanded the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program since 2003, funded by Philip Morris USA, an Altria company, and with additional support from RAI Services Company.  Information about starting and maintaining a community Cigarette Litter Prevention Program is available online.  The "Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention" can be accessed through the Keep America Beautiful Web site www.kab.org or directly at www.preventcigarettelitter.org.

Keep Lubbock Beautiful works with Keep America Beautiful, which includes Keep Texas Beautiful, to preserve a beautiful and sanitary environment that is beneficial to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Lubbock.  Please visit Keep Lubbock Beautiful at www.keeplubbockbeautiful.org to volunteer, support and beautify our community.