Dear Editor,
Earth Month provides the opportunity to meditate on our consumption, our relationship with our environment, and our waste habits.
You may have heard of popular methods to reduce waste like carrying a reusable water bottle or composting, but what about enacting and enforcing smoke and vape-free outdoor policies?
While cigarette butts remain the most littered item in the world, disposable vapes are becoming a growing threat to our environment. Both the batteries and the addictive substances in disposable vapes can leach chemicals in the ground and water sources. Additionally, these products are made of plastics that do not degrade over time and it can hundreds of years for them to decompose!
Our organization, POW’R Against Tobacco, has hosted several community clean ups and we are often disturbed by what we find—piles of cigarette butts, cigar tips, and disposable e-cigarettes litter parking lots, local beaches, and even the parks and playgrounds that we share quality time in with our families.
Prohibitions on public smoking and vaping are vital in protecting visitor health from secondhand smoke and vape exposure, eliminating tobacco waste, and signaling that you CARE about the health and well-being of the children and families that are vital to your community. Visit our website powragainsttobacco.org to learn how you can get involved.
Molly Franco, MSW
Community Engagement Coordinator
POW’R Against Tobacco
Mount Vernon
