Survey finds fewer cigarette butts downtown

"We still have a long ways to go," Walker said. "Two thousand is still a lot."

The downtown organization recently hosted a month-long campaign to reduce cigarette litter. Walker walked the same route July 14, before the campaign began, and found 3,990 butts.

Her route was the block bounded by Railroad Avenue, Holly Street, Cornwall Avenue and Magnolia Street, with side trips to outside The Royal, Starbucks Coffee and Downtown Johnny's Restaurant & Nightclub.

The campaign was backed by Keep America Beautiful, a national anti-litter group.

Walker hopes the campaign contributed to the reduction in butts, but the weather likely shares some of the credit. It rained last weekend, so there may have been fewer people standing outside with a cigarette in their mouth, and the butts they did toss may have been washed into storm drains by the rain.

"I think the rain made a big difference," she said, "which means there's a lot of fish with nicotine."

Other factors played a role. The city has now installed three cigarette-disposal fixtures downtown, with several more coming. And during the campaign, police and local businesses handed out nearly 1,000 pocket ashtrays to smokers. They have more ashtrays to distribute.

Cigarette litter is a long-lasting nuisance because most filters are made of durable plastic, and sweeping them up is a major headache for businesses and for groups like the Renaissance Network.

Tossing a cigarette butt onto the ground is littering, subject to a $50 fine, but police rarely hand out such tickets.

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