Is It Illegal To Throw Cigarette Butts Out The Window As You’re Driving?

Cigarette butts are the number one trash found on our highways and byways, and you can get pulled over for throwing them out of your window. I am all for this law and think it should be a bigger fine. Try driving a motorcycle and getting hit with a cigarette butt coming from the vehicle in front of you and see how you like it.

It’s littering,” said Lt. Eric Roeske, a spokesperson for the Minnesota State Patrol. Minnesota state statute 169.4  specifically mentions cigarette filters and littering is a misdemeanor and goes on your driving record, a second offense is a minimum of a $400 fine.

According to a story with NCBI, cigarette filters pose a serious litter and toxic waste disposal problem. Cellulose acetate is photodegradable but not bio-degradable. Although ultraviolet rays from the sun will eventually break the filter into smaller pieces under ideal environmental conditions, the source material never disappears; it essentially becomes diluted in water or soil.

If you’re a smoker, that's you’re right, but is not your right to throw the cigarette butts out your window. Do us all a favor and put your butts in the trash. Keep America beautiful people.