Wanna stop supporting the tobacco industry, but can’t kick yer habit? Or just want to save some money? Flak Magazine has an article on picking up cigarette butts.
In all my years of picking up cigs off the street I’ve never caught a disease (in fact, I’ve caught more colds from my little nephews on holiday visits than I have in this activity). That said, this is a pastime neither for the squeamish nor social snobs. For the imaginative and frugal eccentric, however, picking cigarettes up off the street may prove to be rewarding and fun. Happy hunting!
I’m just glad I don’t smoke.
August 30, 2002 at 4:23 pm
I’m just glad I don’t smoke.
Be glad. Be very glad.
August 30, 2002 at 7:30 pm
It’s not so bad. I know people who’ve done this. It’s essentially the same thing as sharing with your friends. I don’t care how well you know them, you’re never totally sure where their mouth has been, so they aren’t terribly different from strangers in that respect. As for picking them up off the ground, when I’m sitting around with friends and someone wants a hoot from my cigar, I’m not going to get up and pass it; I’m much too lazy. I’m going to throw it, and unless my friend is Kurt Russell or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they aren’t going to try catching it. It lands at their feet, they have a taste, and toss it back to me the same way. It’s common practice.
I don’t smoke cigarettes, so I won’t be taking up this hobby myself, but with a pack of smokes in B.C. going up to $10+ soon, more people are going to have to hunt or quit.
September 6, 2002 at 4:07 pm
I’m thinking of picking up a lot of cigarettes, buying one of those cigarette rolling machines, and selling the results at parties.