Cigarette butts are often disposed of on streets, sidewalks, and other public areas, and may then be carried as runoff to drains and ultimately end up polluting rivers, beaches, and oceans
Although the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA the right to regulate all tobacco products, it did not specifically include non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars, little cigars, cigarillos, hookah, and e-cigarettes, in the ban on characterizing flavors
*As of January 7th 2025.
Many of these cigarettes may state they are tobacco-free, as well as nicotine- and additive-free, meaning they may not contain harmful chemicals that are often present in other cigarettes
Smokers typically start smoking as adolescents or young adults, with initial smoking occurring in social situations, said Sherry McKee, the director of the Yale Behavioral Pharmacology Lab