Lit cigarette butts have caused many grass and bushfires. Photo: File.
Fines for tossing cigarette butts in the ACT were toughened in October, but remain well short of the fines being introduced in NSW which has declared war on tossers.
Motorists caught discarding a lit cigarette from a car in NSW from 17 January 2020 face heavy fines and the loss of five demerit points, the first time a demerit point penalty has been imposed on this type of offence.
If a motorist commits the offence during a total fire ban, the penalty will double to 10 demerit points and a fine of up to $11,000.
Penalties will also apply to passengers caught tossing a lit cigarette on or near the roadway. They will be fined $660, which will double during total fire bans.
So far in 2019, more than 200 people have been caught tossing a lit cigarette out of a vehicle in NSW.
NSW Rural Fire Service Association president Brian McDonough welcomed the government’s move to crack down on fire starters.
“This reckless behaviour puts the safety of firefighting volunteers at risk,” Mr McDonough said. “I hope this makes people think very carefully about the consequences of their actions next time they go to discard a lit cigarette.”
Keep your butt in the car! With major bush fires across NSW, we're reminding people of the dangers of throwing cigarette butts out of cars. DON'T DO IT! Starting a fire from a discarded lit cigarette can cost you $16K. Report cigarette butt littering to Access Canberra – 132281. pic.twitter.com/HIFsdHTI9w
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) December 19, 2019
In the ACT, new laws were introduced on 22 October to deal with people caught littering and illegally dumping. The new laws also include increased fines for people tossing cigarette butts.
The previous fine for littering of any kind, including cigarette butt littering, was a $60 on-the-spot fine.
The new laws see the fines escalate to $500 if you’re caught dropping items like a cigarette or a syringe.
ACT Policing has also reminded people of the risks of tossing cigarette butts out of cars.
“Starting a fire from a discarded lit cigarette can cost you $16,000,” ACT Policing said via social media today (20 December).
Minister for City Services Chris Steel said the new aggravated littering offence sends a strong message to the community about the impact of these items on the city.
“Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter on the planet, and have a significant impact on the environment releasing toxic chemicals and microplastics,” Mr Steel said.
“With a hotter and drier climate, cigarettes present a real fire risk to our bush capital, with 13 per cent of grass fires in the ACT started by cigarettes.”
To report someone who has thrown a lit cigarette out the window of a vehicle, contact the NSW Rural Fire Service hotline on 1800 679 737.
In the ACT, people can report littering offences via Access Canberra.
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I witnessed someone ashing his cigarette out of his car window today. I wish I could report it as I noted his rego no and type of vehicle. Shame on him!
Maybe not the increase in fines so suddenly. Definitely educate. But also police litterers. It would be so easy to catch ciggy litterers with a concerted effort in known trouble spots. Educate first with a small fine and community service to collect butts in known trouble spots. Once you realise how gross they are in the environment that should deter littering and maybe even smoking.
I am a smoker, have done for 40 odd years and I always put them out in the ashtray in my car that still has one. Otherwise a bottle with water in it! Don't blame the cigarette, blame the idiot holding it.
Start taking these things more seriously!
Hand out ashtrays or install them
Why on earth is Canberra ,not giving out a bigger fine ,it won’t deter these irresponsible humans 😡😡just makes these morons think it isn’t that bigger deal 😡😡
Saw a guy yesterday flicking the ash off his smoke 😱 he didn’t throw it out the window but the end could of come off flick it in a jar of water in the console no need to have it out the window at all in this weather
All I can say is good GoOd GOOd & GOOD.
Should be introduced in every state
Ban cigarettes for health reasons too.
Jeanette Donovan alcohol too ?
Why is it that smokers consider the world their ashtray?
How are cigarettes still legal in 2019/20? It’s so disgusting, dangerous and pointless 😱
Surely with the health and fire risks, the time has come to simply ban smoking inside cars? It'd be a lot easier to enforce too
Dane Roberts all I ever see is butts out the window.
James are you still talking about cigarettes? 😂
Dane Roberts Right? Plus, it's ridiculous that things like using a mobile phone are (rightfully) banned for being distracting - yet smoking apparently isn't?
The problem is education and enforcement - not the level of fines. I asked a question on notice in the Assembly and Minister Steel has responded saying, there have been no fines issued for littering in the last three years, which I find astounding.
Caroline Le Couteur seeing the government is unwilling or unable to enforce most of its statutes, maybe it is time they started paying a spotter's fee for any reported infringements that result in a penalty being issued?
how this will be enforced? 5 million cars and only 200 fines in 2019? statistics are grim... bigger fines won't solve the problem.
how about just quit smoking?
Yep, just like the two truck drivers I have witnessed in last few weeks flicking butts out, both were going other way or my dash cam would have got them, next time lucky.
Looking through these comments I can't believe how light people are willing to go. Say we burn them at the stake.
Rob Thomas : A good option you have presented!!! 😂🔥😂🔥😂
Gaol for life....such idiots are not fit to be free.
catching them in the act is the difficult part