EDMONTON – Smokers caught butting out responsibly in Edmonton may be in for a treat.
The City of Edmonton has launched its summer cigarette litter enforcement and education campaign. Bylaw officers will be patrolling downtown and other areas around the city.
Smokers spotted properly disposing cigarette butts will be given Tim Hortons gift cards . Last year around 200 were handed out.
“Our goal is to encourage smokers to think about where they’re disposing of their cigarettes,” said Grant Blaine with the City of Edmonton Community Peace Officer section.
“We want to deter bylaw infractions but also reinforce positive behaviour.”
Smokers caught not disposing of cigarette butts properly may be fined $250.
A Capital City Clean Up audit from last year showed the amount of cigarette litter found in Edmonton decreased over 29 per cent from 2012, however, butts still make up a large part of the small litter found on city streets.
Improperly disposed smoking materials are also the number one cause of fire fatalities.
“Many people underestimate how quickly a smoldering cigarette can ignite surrounding material,” said Deputy Chief of Public Safety Russell Croome, with Edmonton Fire Rescue. “So it’s important that residents are made aware of the potential hazards involved with discarding them improperly.”
Comments