We would like to invite you to join us on April 27th for our Tobacco Clean-up event. We will be hosting our event at 3 parks in the La Crosse Community; Pettibone, Copeland, and Cameron Park. The goal of this event is to promote discussion about tobacco free parks in La Crosse County and provide information about the risks of toxic pollutants such as tobacco products to our health, our planet, and our future generations. Aside from the tremendous damage smoking causes, tobacco products are the most commonly found litter in the United States. Globally, about 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are dropped every year. 75% of smokers report disposing of their cigarettes on the ground. Tobacco products leach toxic chemicals into our soil and water systems such as arsenic and lead. 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that is not biodegradable. None of these statistics include the most recent tobacco trend, e-cigarettes. These products are just as dangerous to the environment and our health as cigarettes. They are made from plastic and contain nicotine which can be deadly to our soil and wildlife. Animals often mistake this litter for food. Plastic pieces from tobacco products have been found in the bellies of our fish, birds, and other wildlife.
It is important that we keep our parks and community clean from the dangers of toxic tobacco pollution. We hope this event will help make our parks safe and healthy for those who use them, and our community as a whole. Supplies for the clean will be provided as well as refreshments and tons of giveaways for volunteers! We hope to see you there!
