Smoking is a habit I don't agree with, but one I'm willing to tolerate. I silently suck up second hand smoke for the sake of politeness, and place fondness of the company over my own good health. Litter in general, is something I abhor, but cigarette butts are the worst form of it. I always make my friend or companion pick up their butt if they flick it on the ground.
When my boyfriend and I started dating, we went for a long, romantic walk on the beach at night. As we walked, he held my hand in one of his, and the cigarette butt I wouldn’t let him flick on the beach in the other. It may be a little strict, but it’s for a very good reason. If someone else wants to ruin their own health, that’s fine, but I won’t let them ruin the Earth. But it’s just a cigarette butt, you say. Au contraire, say I.
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2009.