1724 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 t 202-454-5555 f 202-454-5599 www.LegacyForHealth.

org
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9_]Wh[jj[iWiB_jj[h
n 2OO7, 3O billion cigorelles were consumed in lhe Uniled Sloles lU.S.I. -
1
0igorelle
bulls, lhe ploslic fller ond remnonls of smoked cigorelles, ore discorded in nolurol
environmenls, slreels, sidewolks, ond olher public oreos. Some of lhese bulls moy lhen
be corried os runoff lo droins, moking lheir woy lo rivers ond ullimolely lo oceons ond
beoches.
2
o 0igorelle fllers ore mode from cellulose ocelole, o ploslic which is lechnicolly
biodegrodoble. However, cigorelle bulls only biodegrode under condilions
described by reseorchers os severe biologicol circumslonces such os when
fllers end up in sewoge. Fven in lhese condilions, cellulose ocelole fllers ore
slow lo disoppeor wilh lhe mosl oplimislic eslimole ol monlhs.
3-5

o n proclice, cigorelle bulls lossed on slreels ond beoches do nol biodegrode.
The sun moy breok down lillered bulls, bul only inlo smoller pieces of wosle
which become diluled in woler or soil.
2,5,
EdBWdZ
Mulliple liller sludies show lhol when counling liller on o per-ilem bosis, cigorelles ond -
cigorelle bulls ore lhe number one lillered ilem on U.S. roodwoys.
7
o Keep lmerico Beouliful reporls lhol in 2OO, lobocco producls -
primorily cigorelle bulls-comprised neorly 38% of oll collecled liller ilems
from roodwoys ond slreels.
7

Keep lmerico Beouliful olso found lhol cigorelle bulls were lhe mosl common liller ilem -
collecled ol fve of six non-roodwoy siles, including. reloil oreos, slorm droins, looding
docks, conslruclion siles, ond recreolionol oreos.
7
0igorelle wosle is highly concenlroled
oround businesses where cigorelles ore sold ond consumed.
8

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- Dolo from lhe 0ceon 0onservoncy show lhol in 2O1O, neorly lwo million l1,82,52I
cigorelles or cigorelle fllers-enough lo fll /,2 pocks of cigorelles-were removed
inlernolionolly from beoches ond inlond wolerwoys os porl of lhe onnuol nlernolionol
0ooslol 0leonup l00I, including 1,181,58 collecled from lhe U.S.
*
This represenls 1%
ond 31% of lolol debris ilems collecled worldwide ond in lhe U.S., respeclively, moking il
by for lhe mosl prevolenl ilem found.

o n oddilion lo cigorelles ond cigorelle fllers, 1,257 cigorelle lighlers,
73,155 cigor lips, ond 3,52 lobocco pockoges or wroppers were removed
from U.S. wolerwoys during lhe 00 in 2O1O.

- n lhe posl 25 yeors, 52,O7,75 cigorelle bulls/fllers hove been collecled from
inlernolionol beoches, occounling for 32% of oll debris collecled. The number of cigorelle
bulls ond fllers collecled wos over lhree limes more lhon lhol of ony olher ilem.

*
During lhe 2O1O 00, 2/5,//7 volunleer s porlicipoled in lhe Uniled Sloles - lhe mosl volunleers of ony counlry in lhe cleonup, represenling /O%
of oll lhose who volunleered globolly. The Uniled Sloles wos olso lhe counlry wilh lhe greolesl number of cleonup siles - 3,OO/ -- which wos more
lhon 3 limes os mony os lhe counlry wilh lhe second highesl number of cleonup siles l0onodo wilh O silesI.
9_]Wh[jj[iWiJen_YMWij[
0igorelles ore poisonous when ingesled by children ond olher living orgonisms, os -
evidenced by poison conlrol cenler dolo, velerinory lilerolure, ond nolionol reporls.
1O-13

o n 2OO, lhe lmericon lssociolion of Poison 0onlrol 0enlers received
7,/3 reporls of polenliolly loxic exposures lo lobocco producls omong children
younger lhon six yeors of oge in lhe U.S.
1/
Mosl coses of nicoline poisoning omong
lhese children resulled from lheir ingeslion of cigorelles or chewing lobocco.

o Belween 2OO2 ond 2OO7, over 2,OOO non-folol, uninlenlionol cigorelle-reloled
in|uries lo children oged four yeors ond under occurred per yeor in lhe U.S.,
2% of lhese involved poisonings.
1O

o 0ne lo fve cigorelles, or 2O lo 1OO mg of nicoline, is lhe minimum lelhol dose
reporled in dogs ond cols. ngeslion of lobocco producls is more common in
young onimols le.g., puppiesI, bul lhe overoll likelihood of loxicosis is rore in
household pels.
11
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Few sludies hove exomined lhe loxicily of cigorelle bulls lo oquolic ecosyslems. -
Preliminory sludies show, however, lhol lhe chemicols lhol seep oul of cigorelle bulls con
be oculely loxic lo fsh ond micro-orgonisms, ond lhe moin couses of loxicily ore orgonic
compounds lnicoline ond elhylphenolI in lhe cigorelle bulls.
15-17

o 0ne cigorelle bull sooked in o liler of woler killed holf of lhe fsh exposed in
o sludy in o loborolory selling.
17
o lnolher sludy conducled in o loborolory idenlifed ond quonlifed componenls
leoched from cigorelle bulls ond found lhol cigorelle bulls con be o poinl source
for heovy melol conlominolion in woler for ol leosl o monlh.
18
7jj_jkZ[i7XekjB_jj[h_d]9_]Wh[jj[8kjji
Tobocco induslry reseorch reveols lhol smokers liller lheir cigorelle bulls for mony -
reosons, such os lhe unovoilobilily of oshlroys, lhe ubiquilous ond seemingly occeploble
behovior of ficking bulls on lhe ground, ond folse nolions lhol cigorelle fllers ore
biodegrodoble or inconsequenliol os liller.
1
n on luslrolion sludy from 2OOO, in which
people were observed lillering ond loler inlerviewed, lillerers ciled lhe following reosons
for lheir behovior. loziness l2/%I, no oshlroy l23%I, no lrosh receplocle neorby l21%I, ond
hobil l%I.
2O
l review of induslry documenls found lhol lobocco componies hove feored being held -
responsible for lobocco liller for more lhon 2O yeors. Tobocco compony reseorch suggesls
lhol biodegrodoble fllers would nol be morkeloble ond would encouroge liller.
The lobocco induslry olso concluded lhol smokers were defensive oboul lossing lheir
cigorelle bulls ond were nol omenoble lo onli-liller compoigns.
1
Ej^[h;dl_hedc[djWb?cfWYji
Fnvironmenlol consequences of lobocco use include.

Deforeslolion os o resull of lobocco produclion. wood is used in lhe form-bosed process -
of curing lhe crop ldrying lhe leovesI.
21

Fires coused by cigorelle smoking. -
22
Solid, liquid, ond oirborne wosles produced during lhe monufocluring process. -
o Some of lhese wosle producls ore designoled by lhe Fnvironmenlol Proleclion
lgency os Toxic Releose nvenlory lTRI chemicols, meoning lhey ore considered
hozordous.
23
o n 2OO, 57/,/O pounds of loxic chemicols were releosed by lobocco producl
monufocluring focililies in lhe Uniled Sloles. The lop fve chemicols releosed were
ommonio, nicoline, hydrochloric ocid, nilrole compounds, ond chlorine.
2/
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0rowing concern over lhe impocl of lobocco producl wosle on lhe environmenl os well os -
lhe subslonliol cosl of liller cleonup hos prompled sloles, municipolilies, ond inslilulions
lo underloke o voriely of policy oclions.
2

o ls of lpril 1, 2O11, 1O5 municipolilies ocross lhe counlry prohibil smoking on
lheir beoches, while 5O7 municipolilies prohibil smoking in lheir porks.
25,2

o ln economic sludy bosed on o liller oudil in Son Froncisco, which found lhe
onnuol lobocco liller cleonup cosl lo be more lhon $5. million, led lheir 0ily
0ouncil in 2OO lo impose o 2O cenl per pock liller fee on cigorelles sold in
lhe cily.
27

o Under 0olifornio slole low, o person who provides informolion leoding lo lhe
orresl ond conviclion of o person for lillering cigorelle bulls is enlilled lo o
reword for providing lhe informolion l5O% of collecled fneI.
28
l `hol line` hos
olso been esloblished lo focililole reporling of viololions direclly by lhe public lo
lhe 0olifornio Highwoy Polrol ll877I-211-BUTTI.
2
o lllhough colleges ond universilies hove recenlly enocled smoking bons primorily
lo promole heollhy behoviors, lhey ore olso concerned oboul lhe environmenlol
impocl of cigorelle liller ond lhe fnonciol cosls lo cleon up bulls on lheir
compuses. There ore currenlly 5OO smoke free college compuses ocross
lhe U.S.
3O,31
Members of orgonizolions odvocoling ogoinsl cigorelle bull pollulion, such os lhe -
0igorelle Bull Pollulion Pro|ecl lwww.cigwosle.orgI
32
in lhe U.S. ond luslrolio`s Bull
Lillering Trusl,
33
endorse diverse opprooches in order lo prevenl, miligole, ond reduce
cigorelle bull wosle in lhe environmenl, including.
o Fnforcing currenl liller lows ond implemenling fnes for discording bulls inlo
lhe environmenl.
2,28,2,33

o Furlher reseorch on lhe loxicily of cigorelle bull wosle in nolurol sellings.
3/
o Fducolion ond oworeness progroms promoling behovior chonge.
33





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HDJG8:H
1
US Deporlmenl of lgricullure. Tobocco 0ullook Reporl, Fconomic Reseorch Service, 0clober 2/, 2OO7. lvoiloble online.
hllp.//usdo.monnlib.cornell.edu/MonnUsdo/viewDocumenlnfo.do?documenlD=138.
2
Novolny TF, Lum K, Smilh F, Wong \, Bornes R. 0igorelles bulls ond lhe cose for on environmenlol policy on hozordous
cigorelle wosle. nl J Fnviron Res Public Heollh. Moy 2OO,l5I.11-17O5.
3
shigoki T, Sugono W, Nokonishi l, Toledo M, ke M, Fu|ilo M. The degrodobilily of biodegrodoble ploslics in oerobic ond
onoerobic wosle londfll model reoclors. 0hemosphere. Jon 2OO/,5/l3I.225-233.
/
lch l. Biodegrodoble Ploslics Bosed on 0ellulose lcelole. J Mocromol Sci Pure. 13,3OlI.733-7/O.
5
Degrodobilily of 0igorelle Tip Fillers. 11. Legocy Tobocco Documenls Librory. hllp.//legocy.librory.ucsf.edu/lid/lv|5o.

Hons N. Pholodegredolion of 0ellulose lcelole Fibers. J Polym Sci Pol 0hem. 177,15.725-7//.
7
Beck R. Finol Reporl. Liller. l Review of Liller Sludies, lllilude Surveys ond 0lher Liller-reloled Lilerolure. Keep lmerico
Beouliful, nc. 2OO, hllp.//www.kob.org/sile/DocServer/LillerLilerolureReview.pdf?docD=/81.
8
Moroh M, Novolny T. 0eogrophic pollerns of cigorelle bull wosle in lhe urbon environmenl. Tob 0onlrol.
2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i3-i/1.

0ceon 0onservoncy. nlernolionol 0ooslol 0leonup 2O11 Reporl. Trocking Trosh-25 Yeors of lclion for lhe 0ceon.
Woshinglon, D0, 2O11. lvoiloble online. hllp.//ocl.oceonconservoncy.org/pdf/MorineDebris2O11Reporl00.pdf.
1O
0uirk JT. 0igorelle-reloled in|uries lo young children in lhe USl, 2OO2-2OO7. Public Heollh. Sep 2OO,123lI.28-2.
11
Hockendohl N0, Seredo 0W. The dongers of nicoline ingeslion in dogs. \el Med-US. 2OO/,l3I.218-22/.
12
0enlers for Diseose 0onlrol ond Prevenlion. ngeslion of cigorelles ond cigorelle bulls by children--Rhode slond, Jonuory
1/-July 1. MMWR. 17,/lI.125-128.
13
Novolny T, Hordin S, Hovdo L, Novolny D, M0Leon M, Sofdor K. Tobocco ond cigorelle bull consumplion in humons ond
onimols. Tob 0onlrol. 2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i1-i1.
1/
Bronslein l0, Spyker D, 0onlileno J, LR, 0reen J, Rumock B, 0riffn S. 2OO lnnuol Reporl of lhe lmericon lssociolion of
Poison 0onlrol 0enlers` Nolionol Poison Dolo Syslem lNPDSI. 27lh lnnuol Reporl. 0lin Toxicol. 2O1O,/8.7-1178.
15
Micevsko T, Worne MS, Poblo F, Polro R. \oriolion in, ond couses of, loxicily of cigorelle bulls lo o clodoceron ond microlox.
lrch Fnviron 0onlom Toxicol. Feb 2OO,5Ol2I.2O5-212.
1
Regisler K. 0igorelle Bulls os Liller-Toxic os Well os Ugly. Underwoler Nolurolisl, Bullelin of lhe lmericon Lillorol
Sociely. 2OOO,5l2I.
17
Sloughler F, 0ersberg R, Wolonobe K, Rudolph J, Novolny TF. Toxicily of 0igorelle Bulls, ond lheir 0hemicol 0omponenls,
lo Morine ond Freshwoler Fish. Tob 0onlrol. 2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i23-i27.
18
Moermon J, Polls 0. lnolysis of melols leoched form smoked cigorelle liller. Tob 0onlrol. 2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i28-i32.
1
Smilh F, Novolny T. Whose bull is il? lobocco induslry reseorch oboul smokers ond cigorelle bull wosle. Tob 0onlrol.
2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i2-i8.
2O
0urnow, R.0. & Spehr, K.L. l2OO1I. Lillering Behoviour Sludies 3. Meosuring Fnvironmenlolly Desiroble Behoviour. l
0ommunily 0honge reporl lo lhe Beveroge nduslry Fnvironmenl 0ouncil NSW. lvoiloble online. hllp.//www.ofgc.org.ou/
psf/psf-reseorch-o-reporls.hlml.
21
0eisl HJ. 0lobol ossessmenl of deforeslolion reloled lo lobocco forming. Tob 0onlrol. Spring 1,8l1I.18-28.
22
Leislikow BN, Morlin D0, Milono 0F. Fslimoles of smoking-ollribuloble deolhs ol oges 15-5/, molherless or folherless
youlhs, ond resulling Sociol Securily cosls in lhe Uniled Sloles in 1/. Prev Med. Moy 2OOO,3Ol5I.353-3O.
23
Novolny T, Zhoo F. 0onsumplion ond produclion wosle.onolher exlernolily of lobocco use. Tob 0onlrol. 1,8.75-8O.
2/
The Righl lo Know Nelwork. Toxic Releose nvenlory Dolobose 31222. 0lher Tobocco Producl Monufocluring Focililies, 2OO8.
25
lmericon Nonsmokers` Righls Foundolion. Municipolilies wilh Smokefree Beoch Lows. lvoiloble online.
hllp.//www.no-smoke.org/pdf/SmokefreeBeoches.pdf. 2O11.
2
lmericon Nonsmokers` Righls Foundolion. Municipolilies wilh Smokefree Pork Lows. lvoiloble online.
hllp.//www.no-smoke.org/pdf/SmokefreePorks.pdf. 2O11.
27
Schneider J, Pelerson N, Kiss N, Fbeid 0, Doyle l. Tobocco liller cosls ond public policy. o fromework ond melhodology for
considering lhe use of fees lo offsel obolemenl cosls. Tob 0onlrol. 2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i33-i37.
28
0olifornio Penol 0ode Seclion 37/.
2
Lee M. 0igorelle liller holline gels o mokeover. Son Diego Union Tribune. Jonuory 22, 2O1O. lvoiloble online.
hllp.//www.signonsondiego.com/news/2O1O/|on/22/cigorelle-liller-holline-gels-mokeover/.
3O
lmericon Nonsmokers` Righls Foundolion. U.S. 0olleges ond Universilies wilh Smokefree lir Policies. lvoiloble online.
hllp.//www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokefreecollegesuniversilies.pdf.2O11.
31
Sowdey M, Lindsoy R, Novolny T. Smoke-free college compuses. no ifs, ond or loxic bulls. Tob 0onlrol. 2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i2O-i22.
32
The 0igorelle Bull Wosle Pro|ecl. hllp.//www.cigwosle.org/.
33
Bull Free luslrolio. hllp.//www.bulllilleringlrusl.org/.
3/
Heollon 0, 0ummings M, 0`0onnor R, Novolny T. Bull reolly? The environmenlol impocl of cigorelles. Tob 0onlrol.
2O11,2OlSupplemenl 1I.i2-i8.
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