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. 2011 May;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i42-4.
doi: 10.1136/tc.2010.042424.

Geographic patterns of cigarette butt waste in the urban environment

Maacah Marah  1 , Thomas E Novotny
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Geographic patterns of cigarette butt waste in the urban environment

Maacah Marah et al. Tob Control. 2011 May.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: This reports the initial phase of a study to quantify the spatial pattern of cigarette butt waste in an urban environment.

Methods: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to create a weighted overlay analysis model which was then applied to the locations of businesses where cigarettes are sold or are likely to be consumed and venues where higher concentrations of butts may be deposited. The model's utility was tested using a small-scale litter audit in three zip codes of San Diego, California.

Results: We found that cigarette butt waste is highly concentrated around businesses where cigarettes are sold or consumed. The mean number of butts for predicted high waste sites was 38.1 (SD 18.87), for predicted low waste sites mean 4.8 (SD 5.9), p<0.001.

Conclusions: Cigarette butt waste is not uniformly distributed in the urban environment, its distribution is linked to locations and patterns of sales and consumption. A GIS and weighted overlay model may be a useful tool in predicting urban locations of greater and lesser amounts of cigarette butt waste. These data can in turn be used to develop economic cost studies and plan mitigation strategies in urban communities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weighted overlay model of cigarette butt waste, San Diego County zip code 92116.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Butt really? The environmental impact of cigarettes.
    Healton CG, Cummings KM, O'Connor RJ, Novotny TE. Healton CG, et al. Tob Control. 2011 May;20 Suppl 1(Suppl_1):i1. doi: 10.1136/tc.2011.043729. Tob Control. 2011. PMID: 21504916 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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