New York Lawmakers Consider Single-use Cigarette Filter Ban

Democratic lawmakers in New York State have introduced a measure that would ban the sale of single-use cigarette filters. The rationale behind the proposal is that single-use filter cigarettes pose significant environmental and health concerns, The New Paltz Oracle reports.

Cigarette butts are the most collected item across the globe in beach and waterway cleanup efforts. And environmentalists have noted that this significantly adds to the pollution problem since most cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a type of non-biodegradable plastic.

The ban would also apply to attachable butts for electronic cigarettes, as single-use e-cigarettes contain lithium-ion batteries and liquid nicotine.

The New Paltz Oracle has more information:

During the wake of crackdowns on the tobacco and vape industries, New York State democratic lawmakers are aiming to nip butts in the bud.

The Tobacco Product Waste Reduction Act, introduced by Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee and State Senators Elizabeth Krueger and Todd Kaminsky, seeks to ban the sale of single-use cigarette filters, commonly referred to as “butts.”

“Cigarette butts are everywhere — littering our streets, our parks and our waterways, and spreading plastic pollution and toxic chemicals into our environment and our food supply,” Krueger said in a Democrat & Chronicle article. “It’s clear that we need to act.” 

Read the full article here.