Hold on to your butts

RCMP constable working to make town cigarette litter-free

STRATFORD, P.E.I. — When Jamie Parsons walks around his hometown, Stratford, he sees too many cigarette butts.

“I bet you can’t walk 100 metres without seeing one,” he said. “You go through Tim Hortons or Mcdonald’s or any drive-thru, and you look down and you see numerous cigarette butts on the ground. Not only is it disgusting, it’s actually dangerous.”

The RCMP constable wants this littering to stop. Whether it be while walking along sidewalks or driving the roads, Islanders of legal smoking age are responsible to butt out properly, such as by using an ashtray, he said.

“They’re adults. They should make the conscious decision.”

He spoke with his superiors at the Stratford RCMP detachment and received support for his idea of making the town cigarette-butt free. That means Stratford police will up their enforcement of provincial litter laws if they see someone flicking a butt to the ground.

“We can do better and keep our communities cleaner and safer.”

Parsons plans to follow up on the idea this fall. He also plans to approach Stratford’s town council to get its support and perhaps their help with educating the public.

“Just to let them know that this is something we’re going to promote,” he said.

“If we get the message out there that it’s not acceptable, maybe people will take the steps to safely discard their cigarette butts.”

Over the summer, he used the Island RCMP’S social media handles to speak out against cigarette littering, which officers can issue tickets for, but aren’t always firm on.

“Cigarette butts are not biodegradable, contrary to common belief,” one Twitter post read. “With two recent fires believed to be started by cigarette butts, we ask motorists (to) butt out inside their vehicles.”

The two referenced fires occurred last July, one destroying an apartment building in Charlottetown and another destroying part of a motel in Brackley Beach. Both fires originated from mulch gardens and are suspected to have been started by either a smoldering cigarette or a piece of glass.

“It’s something that can be stopped and prevented,” Parsons said.

DANIEL BROWN/THE GUARDIAN Const. Jamie Parsons finds some of the many cigarette butts littered along the streets of Stratford. He often sees drivers flicking them out of their cars at intersections, he said.