People intentionally aim their cigarette butts into drains. I realize there is a serious lack of ash trays and trash cans but why in the gutter? Do they think the butts just magically disappear? Throwing them on the ground is not good but seems way better than in the gutter.
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It’s to give cancer to rats.
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The amount of rats with Cancer these days has really spiked. It’s becoming a real pandemic down there. Quite a few younger rats have taken up smoking. I’ve heard the rats are planning to lock down the sewer system to protect themselves.
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Years ago when I was one who needed to dispose of Cigarette Butts, yep, if there wasn’t a suitable receptacle for them the drain would be it, probably thinking that there was maybe water there to put out what was still burning.
Now it seems that I may have given Rats and other Vermin Cancer…for which I am eternally shamed.
Maybe it’s because smokers are often nasty people ?
Signed: ex smoker
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Totally agree! I see so many empty cigarette pakets on the street, what’s wrong with this people? Also shocked to see people smoking next to their kids. Or blocking a shop entrance with smoke. I hate most smokers.
I’m looking forward to the day smoking is banned.
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The tobacco companies are certainly nasty people!
As long as they follow the law I’m not blaming them, even though most of the people working for them are most likely nasty.
I think the government should make some of the sewer accessible and turn it into the only legal smoking area for this nasty people.
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I believe there was a poll showing a significant amount of smokers believed the butts dissolve in water.
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I remember seeing something painted next to the storm gutters in Japan that said something like “I didn’t dispose of my cigarette, I hid it in the drain”. With a stick-man tossing a cigarette butt down the drain and a fish with x’s over its eyes. I’m sure I took a picture. I don’t remember if there was Japanese next to it or if they just thought they were shaming the five English speakers that have ever been to that island. I thought it was funny, but the old men were still out there tossing the butts in the drains, so clearly made no difference.
In the US a lot of drains have huge spray painted fish on them that say “this drain leads to the lakes”. I didn’t ever think about that until they painted it on. I’m sure most Taiwanese smokers couldn’t give less f***s. They smoke around new born babies for god’s sake! You think they’ve thought for a second about cancer and microplastics they’re throwing in there?
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dear lord. They do know there’s a plastic in them, right? Clearly they don’t.
It’s also a significant amount of smokers who don’t believe what they’re smoking increase the risk of getting cancer.
I think it may have specifically been rain. But the idea is the same. It’s a major reason smokers throw it on the ground. Some believe the rain will dissolve them somehow.
Are you sure? I think they know but just don’t really care or think about it. I used to smoke and I knew. I quit because I enjoyed being active.
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Nah. I went up against them long ago when smoking ordinances were just becoming a thing and they know precisely what they are doing and are really good at their job - they understand the market and buying behavior better than pretty much any other industry.
It’s interesting to see such harsh judgement of smokers - nasty people, they must be stupid, etc. - in a topic wondering why smokers throw their cigarette into a part of the road or sidewalk that makes it disappear instantly.
We humans are a funny lot sometimes. 
Full disclosure: I smoke one or two cigarettes a week (I actually bought a carton of cigarettes in March 2018, and still have three sealed packs left). I do not throw them onto the ground.
I don’t think the thought ever crosses their mind.
But when you tell them not to do it they get angry . It’s their right to pollute and you shall not make them lose face ! Out of all the times I pointed out to smokers their illegal and harmful behaviour maybe 1/10 times did they even reflect or say sorry, most of them just get really annoyed and many become belligerent (which is why Taiwanese often don’t say anything ). And I don’t even make a habit of moaning at them, just when they do it right beside me and my kids…
My favourite case was the guy at the table next to me who ordered a coffee, while chewing a binglang and eagerly getting out a smoke ready to light up. Man that guy had an addictive personality combined with a death wish 
.
By definition smokers who throw their butts in the drain, smoke where they aren’t supposed to or smoke around kids are nasty people. That is hardly controversial is it ? 
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People like you fascinate me. I have a handful of friends who do this - some smoke if they are drinking and some smoke socially and a good friend says he grabs a cigarette if he feels like it in the same way that he grabs a chocolate bar.
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I don’t know why but I never had trouble quitting. I picked up smoking because of my circumstances with others around me smoking a few times. I smoked with my friends in my freshmen dorm for a year. I stopped when I left for summer break. Never tried to quit but just didn’t think about it one day. I did this a few times depending on my group of friends or colleagues.
I also had many periods where I only smoked drinking. And never smoke outside of that. But now I don’t even smoke, and don’t really drink either so.
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I used to be a full-time smoker, but stopped when I was about 21. Except when I was drinking, when I’d buy a pack out of vending machine, smoke the whole pack, feel like shit the next day, and wonder why? Anyway, stopped completely when I was in my late 20s.
In 2014 I had been working a high-stress job for more than a decade when the stress in my job amped up by an order of magnitude. One day the urge to smoke came roaring back, a blast from the past.
I decided to smoke only when I actually wanted a smoke but not when I felt stress. That fell to the weekend. And there’s something primal about fire and night, so I only smoke at night. And usually when I’m drinking. Anyway, comes to one or two a week.
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