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Just one more thing to say about smoking in general and how it affects us all and I'm not talking about the second hand smoke debate!

Did you know that cigarette filters are made of a plastic cellulose material and can take anywhere from 2 to 25 years to decompose? Consider that time frame while you read these little facts:

How long would 4.5 trillion cigarette butts take to decompose?

Michelle

sorry if I seem like I'm being a smart-alec, but the time of decomposition isnt increased by the number of items. 4.5 trillion butts would still take 2-25 years to decompose. now, each year the numbers would grow until 25 years had been reached, because even if each butt took the full 25 years to decompose, there could only ever be 25 years of build up, and the numbers would more or less hit a plateau. Now, granted, thats still alot of butts, but we are already at that plateua range, and the number of smokers is in america is slowly declining every year. So, like most thing, it will work itself out in it's own time.

But if it is a true fact, we still have butts decomposing in landfills from back in 1982. Each day more butts are being piled on top of the other butts so it is a continual cycle and I don't believe it will work itself out in its own time. That's like saying global warming will work itself out over time. How can it if there isn't a proactive stance to counter it?

What proactive stance can be used with cigarette butts? Can they be recycled in some manner? When someone tosses one out their car window, which I saw happen twice last night in a five mile stretch of Capital Blvd., do birds eat those filters?

I don't think so. Just like anything else in life, if someone is going to do something it should be done in a responsible manner. Example....don't go to a playground and smoke around children, don't toss cigarette butts out the window, don't drink and drive, don't flippantly toss around the word butt as I have done in this post.

Michelle

there are probably still butt around from then, but thats assuming that they take the full 25 to decompose. The reason I say it will work itself out is because if the decline of smokers continues, there will be less butts littered so the number will slowly decrease. Birds do not eat the filters, but they do use them in their nests. In the end its simply about being responsible about smoking, yeah, you shouldnt smoke around kids, you shouldnt litter (anything)... these are all things that most people know, but either dont do or dont care about. But the littering thing is all the more reason to keep smokers inside. The reason? next time you see an ashtray outside, look around in the area. For some reason, even with an ashtray present, smokers will still flick the butt to the ground. Inside a restaurant though, very very few people just throw their cigarettes on the floor (sorry, had to put in an extra point for my side :) )

you say "birds do not eat them but do use them in their nest" Good fact to mention... Did you know that when birds use these filters in their nest, the eggs do not hatch??? The Nicotine from the filters kills the eggs.

You say "Birds do not eat the filters, but they do use them in their nests"... Did you know that when birds use filters to build their nest, the eggs do not hatch??  The Nicotine in the filter kills the eggs. 

didnt know that, but thats weird since there cant be much nicotine in the filters and the eggs are self contained incubation units, i wouldnt think that they absorbed stuff through the shell... but then, i dont know much about birds except that some are pretty, and some arent

How can you say that? What is the purpose of a filter on the end of a cigarette? Isn't it designed and placed on the end near a smoker's mouth to filter the chemicals and the toxins so it will be healthier for the smoker?

Wouldn't it make sense that the filter is loaded with chemicals and toxins?

Birds do eat filters thinking it is food.

I also agree that this smoking ban was needed, still, it does more harm than good. I never smoked at home, I don't like the smell the cigarettes leave in the walls and furniture. Now that I can't smoke when in a bar or restaurant, I smoke home and I smoke cigars as they have a pleasant smell. Well, not pleasant but better than cigarettes.