Littering affects public health in serious ways. The aesthetics of litter degrade the health of the mind. The physical aspects of litter threaten the physical health of humans and animals worldwide.
Non-degradable litter, such as plastic bags, syringes, glass, rubber, styrofoam, batteries and metals, remain stable and cause health risks, often indefinitely. Degradable litter from uneaten foods and sewage routinely poisons our lakes, rivers and oceans causing disease and death.
Rotting litter breeds germs, and diseases occur when we ourselves, or our food, come in contact with flies, cockroaches and mice that have been exposed to these germs. These "vectors" are only a few that carry and spread diseases.
After exposure, a host of bacterial, viral or parasitic diseases can develop. Bacterial diseases include salmonellosis, shigellosis, staphylococcal food poisoning, skin infections and tetanus. A couple viral diseases include hepatitis A and gastroenteritis. Parasitic diseases may include hookworm, threadworms and roundworms. These diseases are devastating, yet they are only a part of the continued public health risk exacerbated by litter.
Cigarette butt litter has been estimated to make up 25-50% of the trash collected on our streets and roads in the United States! That's an estimated 5 trillion butts! In 2014, a review published in the Journal of Current Environmental Health Reports, by Thomas Novotny, reported that cigarette butts made up the largest percentage of coastal waste clean up annually (19-38%), and that annual worldwide tobacco related waste is likely in excess of 55,000 tons!
How this cigarette butt litter (containing nicotine, carcinogens and pesticides) affects our health is yet to be determined.
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