Unintended Consequences

posted by Zach Patton

As cause-and-effect scenarios go, this one should have been easy to predict: Pass a smoking ban, and more people will smoke outside. If more people smoke outside, you're going to have more litter on the sidewalks.

A no-brainer.

And yet, this Seattle Weekly story from a couple weeks ago is the only article I've come across discussing the increase in outdoor trash after the imposition of an indoor smoking ban.

I wonder whether this just hasn't been reported on in other cities with bans, or whether -- for whatever reason -- it hasn't been a problem elsewhere.

Comments

[Bob]

I used to work for a national anti-smoking non-profit, so I consider myself fairly informed when it comes to this subject, but this is the first time I've ever read about this issue. In hindsight, it's a no-brainer. We have a smoking ban in Florida, but I've heard no discussions about an increase in litter.

[Sally]

I work in a smoke-free county courthouse. We tried to extend the smoking ban to the front steps and set a smoking area in the back. Signs went up and the ashtrays were removed. We thought we'd finally be able to enter the building without walking through a cloud of smoke. We were wrong. Smokers stood in front of the signs and smoked. Grounds keepers were constantly picking up butts from the steps and bushes. So, the ashtrays are back under the no smoking signs. Smokers are inconsiderate slobs who think the world is their ashtray! I live on a main road and am constantly sweeping up butts and picking up empty packs from my front lawn.

[Jim C.]

The building where I work has a designated smoking area at the side, complete with large ashtrays, yet the ground is littered with cigaret butts. Apparently, it's too much trouble to snuff out their smokes in an ashtray. Just toss them on the ground instead. If smokers wonder why they get a bad rap, all they have to do is look at their own actions.

[Christopher Swope]

Ah, but isn't flicking the cigarette butt into the gutter part of the routine?

This is a surprise? This seems to be a case of be careful what you wish for because you might just get it. Taxing tobacco is very easy and usually politically popular. It seems that Legislatures were counting on people being addicted to keep the revenue stream coming into the treasury. It is unfortunate that states had no plans for replacing this revenue once smokers started discovering that stopping smoking is not only healthier but cheaper too!