Take a look at what my neighbour’s adult kid left on our street. I did an immediate reconnaissance mission and talked to mom and dad, gave them some pocket ashtrays while laying my friendly neighbourhood complaint at their door. The kid was sleeping, but I’m sure his parents gave him the message. 

Mom wanted me to leave the butts scattered to have her son pick them up.  Litter abatement rule #1: Don’t let litter linger. Deal with it.

Sonny Boy and his friend take their smoking out to the curb. I have a different idea of the word ‘curb.’ That is to curb the practice of littering.  Last night’s deposits, scattered at the foot of one driveway, were prolific and unprecedented for our tiny suburban street.  Twenty-four Belmont cigarette butts displayed their plastic filters like shameless exhibitionists. I couldn’t wait to whisk them away, a task that took less than a minute.

One thing I know about litterers, they hate the thought of being seen.  That’s why so much of littering in adults occurs mostly when they are alone, where the act can occur seemingly out of view and by stealth.  (Youth, on the other hand, tend to litter in a group, according to data from Victoria, AU.)

I told mom to let her son know I can see his curbside retreat from my window.  Okay, I dropped the words “YouTube”, “viral” and “$365 fine” into our conversation.  Everything I said was delivered in a most pleasant and friendly tone. I shook dad’s hand. Mom said she hates litter.

I am confident that this particular cigarette litter eradication problem is now solved.  Son now knows someone is watching and he will undoubtedly tell his friend.  One of my favourite sports is cajoling smokers into not littering anymore. This day's outing was 100% successful.

Pfizer Canada just won’t butt out. The company has not only refused to stop airing its TV commercial that depicts cigarette butt littering, it has extended the ad's shelf life. Slated to end in May, the controversial spot, the subject of a complaint to Canada’s advertising regulator, will run at least until October now, said a spokesperson for CEO John Helou.  Christina Antoniou cited “positive feedback from consumers“ as the reason for the unexpected extension.

“Thank you for your comments regarding the visual images of a woman butting out a cigarette on the ground in our smoking cessation advertising campaign,” Pfizer writes.  “As discussed earlier this year, Pfizer agrees with your position that used tobacco products should be discarded in proper receptacles and containers.

“It is not our intention to promote littering but rather to encourage smokers to quit smoking and butt out for good. In the ad, we don’t see the woman abandoning her cigarette on the ground after she butts out and we hope viewers will interpret that she then threw it in the garbage, despite the fact that this image is not shown.”

The corporate doublespeak is dizzying.  In actuality, the woman actor is seen grinding her lit cigarette end into the pavement of a school front step next to where she is seated.  No right minded viewer would assume the character used an ashtray.  I bet the script says something like: 'Last Frame: Woman butts out cigarette on the stair and walks away.

Pfizer isn't the only big corporation that uses advertising to portray mindless acts of littering to sell products. More on that another time perhaps.  Our pitch to AdStandards Canada is to list littering as one of the societal no-no's deemed offensive under the Code, which will be up for review in 18 months or so.