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IRB aims to snuff out cigarette litter
By LISA MATUSKA
Article published on Thursday, July 6, 2006
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![[Image]](/content_images/070606_bee-01.jpg) |
| Photo by LISA MATUSKA |
| Indian Rocks Beach Vice Mayor R.B. Johnson collects cigarette butts to be counted as part of the city’s pilot cigarette litter prevention program. |
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INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – Indian Rocks Beach is one of just two cities in the nation involved in a cigarette litter prevention pilot program – a joint effort with Keep America Beautiful, and locally, Keep Pinellas Beautiful.
“This summer in Indian Rocks Beach, the only butts we want to see are yours,” said Terry Wollin, cigarette litter prevention committee member, at the June 20 program kickoff.
Susan Fenwick, committee chairperson, outlined four components to the program. They include cigarette butt receptacles, which will be installed at all 30 beach accesses in the city. The other components include public awareness, cigarette litter scans where volunteers clean and count the butts on the beach, and distribution of free pocket ashtrays and butt bags on the beach.
A 10-year resident of Indian Rocks Beach, Pat Donovan has already been helping with cigarette butt cleanup, distributing posters to local businesses and working on other aspects of program publicity.
On the weekly cleanup days, volunteers will continue to clean the butts between the 17th and 18th avenue beach accesses and count how many they find.
“We’d be going back to the same areas and collecting more of them,” said Donovan. “People aren’t aware that butts in our sand can create a lot of damage and they’re yucky.”
Fenwick’s involvement was launched back in November when she attended a Sustainable Beaches Conference in St. Petersburg with Vice Mayor R.B. Johnson. There they learned that previous cigarette butt campaigns run by Keep America Beautiful had reduced cigarette butt litter by 46 percent in some parks and cities. They thought they should try it at their beach.
“Up until now we have not provided cigarette smokers with a vehicle to get rid of butts,” said Fenwick, who noted that cigarette butts are the No. 1 most littered item in the world.
“Between the receptacles and pocket ashtrays they will have the vehicles they need,” Fenwick said.
During the kickoff ceremony, Mayor Bill Ockunzzi said he thinks what makes Indian Rocks Beach unique is the number of volunteers and citizens who come out to community projects and events.
“If you bring something to people’s attention, suggest self-help,” said Ockunzzi, “people are pretty responsive to those suggestions.”
“We want to continue this effort and make it second nature that you would look for that (ash) receptacle,” Fenwick said.
Bill Sanders, executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful and 30 year Clearwater resident, said the group plans to launch a similar campaign countywide in January 2007. Sanders said studies show that cigarette litter has a large impact on shorelines and young marine life. Yet, he defined the campaign as “all about making responsible smokers.”
“We’re anxious to see the results,” said Sanders. “What they learn here will help us in our pilot program for the whole county.”
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Article published on Thursday, July 6, 2006
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