Santa Cruz moves forward in ‘banning the butt’ with filtered cigarette ban
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) - The Santa Cruz City Council is taking a big step toward banning the sale of filtered cigarettes within the city.
Those against the move include smokers and retailers who sell cigarettes.
People in support of the change don't point to health risks, but instead to the environment.
They argue the presence of no smoking signs and public ashtrays is not enough to curb the impacts of widely-littered cigarette butts.
"I've seen all the cigarette butts, and they're leeching toxins into the marine ecosystem and our home, and we're spending almost $14 million a year to clean this up," says Fifer Garbesi and Amelia Eichel of Waste Free Santa Cruz.
The ordinance will return for final adoption at a future meeting.
Back in October, Santa Cruz County passed a similar ordinance.
Full enforcement in unincorporated county areas is set to begin in January 2027.
In unincorporated parts of the county, the sale of filtered cigarettes will already be illegal come 2027 after county supervisors passed the first-of-its-kind legislation last October.
City councilmembers voted unanimously in favor of the ban. If it’s the same result at next week’s meeting, the ban will be official.
