‘They’re useless and they’re everywhere’

In a move toward a more environmentally friendly future, Santa Cruz County will implement a ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes in 2027.

By the way For NBC Bay Area, the county approved the ban in October 2024, provided that at least two local governments also pass the same ban. It’s good that the ban has now been lifted, with the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola officially taking effect as of September 2025.

“This policy adds to our community’s legacy of standing up to big corporations to protect the health of our residents and environment,” county Supervisor Justin Cummings said in a statement. “This is just the beginning, and we look forward to supporting other communities that want to join our efforts,” Cummings continued, as quoted by NBC Bay Area.

Cigarette butt litter is not a small thing. Almost everywhere you look, these toxic little filters can be seen scattered and wreaking havoc on the environment. Johns Hopkins University reports 4.5 trillion cigarette filters are thrown away every year, and tobacco products make up 25-40% of all trash.

Although these filters were invented to claim to protect smokers, they actually do more. damage better than good. Recent research has shown that microplastics are released when disposed of, which not only harms wildlife but also enters waterways and the food chain, affecting humans.

Like some European countries, HollandThis ordinance is the first of its kind to be adopted, considering similar bans in Santa Cruz County.

Other noble attempts to curb this environmental problem include researchers trying to integrate discarded cigarette butts and e-cigarette filters as a reinforcement for asphalt.

“Cigarette butts are poisonous, they’re useless, and they’re everywhere. As guardians of Monterey Bay, we stand up and tell Big Tobacco it’s over NOW,” said Manu Koenig, another Santa Cruz County supervisor. “We invite communities around the world to join us,” he continued, according to NBC Bay Area.

To do your part to stop the spread of litter, you can: take local actionIt’s like participating in a community cleanup where you’re sure to filter out lots of cigarettes from the environment.

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