CIGARETTE BUTTS: TINY WASTE, MASSIVE IMPACT, COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFERS HOPE

By Sakini Mohd Said

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- Amid the festive cheer of Aidilfitri, a habit often overlooked yet highly damaging to the environment has raised concern: the careless disposal of cigarette butts.

A common activity during social gatherings, smoking not only affects health but also leaves waste that can seriously pollute the environment if not properly managed.

While the dangers of cigarette smoke to human health are well known, the environmental impact of discarded cigarette butts remains largely overlooked.

This has led many smokers to discard butts carelessly, especially during festive visits and gatherings involving large crowds.

Prof Dr Rozita Hod, a public health expert at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), warned that the perception of cigarette butts as “small waste” is misleading and concerning.

A single cigarette butt contains over 7,000 toxic chemicals, including nicotine, arsenic, and heavy metals, all of which can contaminate the environment.

She explained that when discarded carelessly, the toxic chemicals in cigarette butts can seep into the soil, enter drainage systems and eventually flow into rivers and the sea.

“These non-biodegradable toxic chemicals harm aquatic life, disrupt ecosystems and poison the environment,” she told Bernama.

Rozita cited European studies showing that a single cigarette butt decomposes only about 38 per cent over two years, and complete decomposition can take between five and ten years.

She added that most cigarette filters are made of plastic, which breaks down into microplastics, posing a significant threat to marine life.

Previous research has also found tobacco waste in the stomachs of turtles and other marine life, which mistake it for food, causing severe digestive problems, sometimes leading to death and ultimately threatening food security.

Rozita, who is also Head of the Department of Public Health, said a single cigarette butt can contaminate up to 1,000 litres of water with hazardous chemicals, potentially causing mortality rates of up to 50 per cent in certain aquatic species.

Globally, she noted, an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded each year, making them one of the most pervasive forms of environmental pollution.

In Malaysia, the scale of the problem is also significant, in line with the country’s smoking prevalence of around 20 per cent.

There are growing hopes that the issue can be addressed through the enforcement of Community Service Orders (CSO), introduced on Jan 1. Rozita, along with environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO), sees this as a step in the right direction.

The CSO, implemented under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Act 672), is a new legal measure aimed at tackling minor littering offences, while also educating offenders through mandatory clean-up work.

However, environmental NGO PINKTRASH cautioned that enforcement alone will not be effective without sustained early education and consistent awareness programmes to instil a lasting sense of responsibility towards the environment.

“Early education and the cultivation of moral values from a young age are crucial, as they shape environmentally responsible habits that cannot be achieved through laws or penalties alone,” it said.

Nevertheless, with hundreds of cases already brought to court, resulting in fines and Community Service Orders (CSO) for minor littering offences since enforcement began, it reflects the authorities’ firm stance on upholding public cleanliness laws.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming previously said more than 1,000 individuals have been detained and subjected to CSO nationwide for littering in public spaces since the start of the year.

Commenting further, Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) chief executive officer Khalid Mohamed said data shows cigarette butts account for the highest number of offences under the law.

“Other commonly discarded waste includes plastics, food wrappers and drink bottles along sidewalks and in public areas. SWCorp expects more cases to be brought to court.

“The Ministry of Housing and Local Government, through SWCorp, remains committed to ensuring public spaces, including tourist areas, meet cleanliness standards comparable to developed nations. Enforcement applies to everyone, Malaysians, foreigners and tourists alike,” he said.

-- BERNAMA