Great Outdoors Month: Keep nature great by ending tobacco use

June is Great Outdoors Month and, as Americans dust off their tents and get their boats out of dry dock in order to enjoy the beauty of nature this summer, it’s important to consider the negative impact tobacco products have on the environment. 

Cigarettes and cigarette butts make up nearly 38 percent of all litter collected in the United States, and nearly 1.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals are released into the air by tobacco manufacturing.

In declaring June Great Outdoors Month, President Obama called on Americans to preserve public spaces and make sure they are sustained for future generations.

“Every day, Americans draw inspiration from the landscapes and outdoor spaces that surround us and connect us with our heritage and with one another,” he said in his proclamation.

The National Park Service estimated that national parks alone registered more than 307 million visits in 2015.  This doesn’t account for visits to state and local parks, waterways and forests.

Unfortunately, tobacco litter and tobacco waste remain as blights on the Great Outdoors. Help us spread the truth about the toll tobacco takes on the environment.