Playgrounds in upstate New York are seeing increasingly dangerous litter, according to WRGB Albany.
A group of teen volunteers called Reality Check has been picking up cigarette butts and discarded vapes. In one clean-up, they placed more than 100 red flags in locations where they picked up such trash.
"I think the Department of Public Services does a really good job of helping clean up," said volunteer Myla Evans, per WRGB Albany. "But obviously they can't get to every cigarette butt that's embedded into the ground."
Filters from tobacco cigarettes are among the most common types of ocean pollution, and are a source of microplastics. When these particles are shed into waterways, they end up in human food streams. Once ingested, microplastics can contribute to a long list of endocrine, immune, circulatory, digestive, renal, and reproductive health risks.
"These items are not just ugly, but they are toxic to wildlife, soil and our water system," said volunteer Ashita Misra, per WRGB Albany. "A smoke- and vape-free environment are about more than just litter, it's about the air we breathe."
The health ramifications of exposure to tobacco smoke are well documented. While studies on air quality impact from vaping are still nascent, the health data from direct use is becoming quite clear. Worse still, e-waste from vapes poses a safety risk whether it's in a playground or a landfill.
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Reality Check is expanding its local action beyond clean-up by demanding Albany City Council goes further. A lack of prohibitions on using e-cigarettes in public in Albany has created an environment where they're used frequently in playgrounds.
This flies in the face of the only legislation that currently applies: a state law that prohibits e-cigarette use in playgrounds between dawn to dusk when a child is present.
To combat this trend, Reality Check has petitioned municipal officials to put up more signage in playgrounds.
"In this park, there is only one sign," said Simona Fish, community engagement coordinator for Capital District Tobacco Free Communities, per WRGB Albany. "So, we think that more signage would help alert the public to the fact that this is a tobacco-free park and you should not be smoking in the park."
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