A pain in the (cigarette) butt
Co-founder of city spring cleanup pleads with public to properly discard their smokes
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife lawyer and former city councillor is trying to change the mindset of smokers in the city.
Paul Falvo, Yellowknife lawyer and co-founder of the city's spring cleanup, points to a cigarette butt on the ground in front of his office on 48 Street. Falvo said it is going to take a change in mentality to get smokers to realize that when they throw their butts on the ground, they are in fact littering. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
Paul Falvo is one of the founders of Yellowknife's spring cleanup and wishes that volunteers did not have to use up so much time collecting cigarette butts.
"Cigarette butts are a pet peeve because people don't realize that they are litter," he said.
"Cigarette butts are small, they look like paper. People think they are just going to biodegrade. They're disgusting and no one wants to hang on to them. But they are litter."
Cigarette butts contain toxic chemicals and plastic that do not biodegrade quickly. Falvo pointed out they can eventually make their way into area lakes and can also be harmful to animals who eat them. He said throwing butts on the ground should be considered socially unacceptable.
"It used to be socially acceptable to have a few drinks and get behind the wheel of a car," he said. "It used to be socially acceptable to light up a cigarette on a plane or in a restaurant. It used to be acceptable to do a lot of things that we now consider to be criminal. It wouldn't put throwing cigarette butts on the criminal scale but it's still unacceptable."
Falvo tries to spread the good word himself about littering, but not on a regular basis. He said it wouldn't take too much effort to change habits, as the city places ashtrays and receptacles at certain intersections and there are bars and restaurants in the city with receptacles out front. Back in the day, he said, the city even handed out portable ashtrays.
"It's a heat proof case that you can stuff your cigarette butt into until you reach an ashtray," said Falvo. "It would be a good initiative for a business to pick up. Hand out pocket ashtrays with the company logo on it."
Nalini Naidoo, spokesperson for the city, says throwing cigarette butts on the ground can contravene a number of bylaws. If a driver throws a butt out the window, he or she does it at the risk of a $75 fine.
If he or she throws the butt on the ground, he or she could face a $200 fine for the first offence, $350 for the second, and $500 for the third.
Naidoo stated in an e-mail that people have been cited under both by-laws but did not say exactly how many.
Falvo founded the annual spring cleanup in 2008 with Coun. Adrian Bell. He estimates thousands of bags of garbage have been picked up over the years, and encourages interested participants in this spring's cleanup to come to Javaroma at 5 p.m. on April 26. He refers to the volunteers as the Downtown Pickup Artists.
Falvo said the cleanup in done every year in conjunction with Earth Week.
"Bags, gloves and safety vests will be provided," he said. "You pick up some litter and come back and have a coffee or tea courtesy of Javaroma."
