Indoor smoking ban forces butts on streets

By Roje Adaimy

The number of cigarette butts on city streets has risen considerably since the introduction of a smoking ban in pubs and clubs last year, according to the City of Sydney.
The volume of cigarette litter has increased by about 20 per cent, while areas with high-density cigarette litter have increased by about 35 per cent.
This comes on the back of research by the City that revealed half of smokers admitted to littering cigarette butts, even though almost all of them know it has a damaging effect on the environment. Many smokers said they were either too lazy to find a bin, were frustrated with the amount of smoking restrictions, or that they were too drunk to dispose of them properly.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP has since announced a ‘Butt Blitz’ to curb the habit, handing out 2,000 free personal ashtrays to street smokers.
“City of Sydney Rangers and education officers will be hitting the streets to educate smokers on what to do with their butts and if necessary, fining offenders who cannot do the right thing,” Ms Moore said.
But Greens Councillor Chris Harris has labelled this as nothing more than a “publicity stunt”. He suggests to hire extra rangers and “undergo a period of focused enforcement, particularly around coffee break times outside city buildings so that people can change their behaviour.”
Uniformed and plain-clothed rangers can impose fines of anywhere between $60 and $200 for littering – a penalty known to three quarters of inner-city smokers, according to the City’s latest survey.
The campaign will be conducted over the coming weeks, targeting littering hot spots both in the CBD and areas including Kings Cross and Newtown.