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Google Image Result for http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/images/cigbuttsl.jpg 3/10/08 2:17 AM of tropical America cultivated as an annual. Cigarette filters may look like cotton, but are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that is slow to degrade in the environment. Cigarette filters are specifically " designed to accumulate particulate smoke components including toxic chemicals. Photo copyrighted by Chris Register. Depending on the type of tobacco and its growing location, the leaves of the tobacco plant can have different tastes, burning properties, aromas, color, and nicotine content. Tobacco leaves contain several alkaloids, including the highly toxic alkaloid nicotine. Nicotine is a powerful insecticide and among the deadliest of all plant products in its pure form. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, it raises blood pressure, affects the central nervous system, and constricts blood vessels in humans. Nicotine is a colorless liquid highly soluble in water, and readily absorbed through the skin in its pure form. Potentially hundreds of additives are mixed with tobacco during the manufacturing process. Additives to smoking tobacco include flavorings and humectants used to keep tobacco moist. According to a publication written for the tobacco industry, additives can constitute ten percent of the weight of the "tobacco" portion of a cigarette, and four percent of the entire cigarette. A widely used cigarette additive is menthol, which provides flavor and serves as an anesthetic. When burned, many additives form new compounds, possessing unique properties. The "tar" often referred to in connection with cigarettes is not a black petroleum tar product, but instead refers to the hundreds of substances and additives found in tobacco. Tar, when cool, is a sticky yellow- brown substance and the US Department of Health and Human Services states that it is composed of organic and inorganic chemicals, including some carcinogens. The complete list of 1,400 potential tobacco additives, which include sweeteners and flavors such as cocoa, rum, licorice, sugar, and fruit juices is considered a trade secret. Since tobacco is not classified as a food or drug, there are no legal maximums on agricultural chemicals or chemical additives cigarettes may contain. Emergence of the issue Cigarette butts accumulate in the environment due to the popularity of plastic cigarette filters and the habit some smokers have to "toss their butt" rather than use ashtrays. Prior to 1954, most cigarettes were non- filtered. In the mid-1950s, sales of filtered cigarettes increased dramatically as the cause-effect relationship between smoking and cancer was reported extensively in the press. Before these reports, in 1950, sales of filtered cigarettes in the US were 1.5% of all cigarette sales. Now, more than 97% of cigarettes sold in the U .S. have filters. The recent bans on indoor smoking have also appeared to cause a shift in cigarette butt deposition. Circumstantial evidence indicates that more cigarette butts are accumulating outside of buildings due to the popularity of indoor smoking bans. In Australia, cigarette butts account for 50% of all litter, a trend that the executive director of Keep Australia Clean blames partly on indoor no-smoking policies. http://Images.google.com/lmgres]Imguri-http://www.longwood.edu/cl...%3DCigarette%2BLitter%26on%2BBeaches%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX Page 2 of 8