This is the height of the fire season. Everything is tinder dry and susceptible to combustion.
The nightly news show widespread death and destruction from out of control wildfires. More often than not these are caused by humans, either deliberately or negligently.
You would think smokers would be extra cautious and dispose of their cigarette butts safely. However, you often see negligent idiots tossing still burning butts out car windows onto the dry roadsides and boulevards. As a side note, surely police and bylaw enforcement officers on patrol see such behaviour as well. Why do we never hear of anyone being ticketed or charged?
Clearly, those irresponsible enough to endanger the public by tossing cigarette butts are also ignorant of modern forensic science’s ability to determine the identity of the polluter from the DNA residue on the butt. Such information could lead to criminal negligence charges and conviction if resulting fires cause damage, injury or death. Similarly, such information could also result in civil lawsuits. Personal accountability might, at long last, encourage social responsibility.
So, smokers, stop tossing your cigarette butts negligently. Respect the safety of your fellow citizens. Respect the land. Respect the environment, especially the oceans. Prevent wildlife from eating your poisoned litter. In other words, smarten up! Better yet, do your own health and those around you a favour, stop smoking altogether.
This is the 21st century, only the wilfully blind are unaware of the fact that cancer causing poisons are in the smoke of practically all combustible materials. Deliberately inhaling any burning material, whether tobacco, marijuana, wheat grass, or similar, is sheer idiocy. Any medicinal benefit of marijuana can be obtained by methods other than inhaling its smoke.
For the government to legalize marijuana without publicizing the dangerous health implications of smoking is despicable.
What once were venal sins are now sources of revenue for amoral governments unable to stop wastefully spending other peoples’ money.
Gary Korpan