What's Happening?
On August 28, 2025, the Capitola City Council will vote on a proposal to ban the sale of filtered tobacco products.
City officials claim this will reduce cigarette litter—but in reality, the ordinance does not address litter at all. It bans only the sale of filtered products, doing nothing to clean up existing waste.
Even worse, if passed:
- Only unfiltered cigarettes—significantly more harmful—will remain legal
- Small businesses will lose legal sales, driving customers to neighboring cities or the illicit market
- Capitola will lose tax revenue that funds important health and environmental programs
Why This Matters — Even If You Don’t Smoke
This isn’t just a tobacco issue—it’s a public health and economic policy mistake.
- Unfiltered cigarette smokers are nearly 40% more likely to develop lung cancer4.
- Banning filtered products pushes smokers toward more dangerous options.
- Meanwhile, small businesses lose legitimate sales, and Capitola forfeits tax revenue that supports public services.
- And contrary to assumptions, cigarette litter is not the top waste issue. In Capitola, cigarette butts ranked #4 in beach cleanups—plastic food wrappers and foam containers came first1 .
Health Risk
Only unfiltered, more harmful cigarettes would be left on shelves.
No Litter Fix
The ordinance doesn’t reduce or manage actual cigarette waste.
Economic Loss
Small businesses are punished, and city tax funds are cut.
What's At Stake
Public Health
✗ Filtered options removed — leaves only more harmful unfiltered products
✗ Pushes smokers toward greater health risks
Local Economy
✗ Harms Capitola small businesses
✗ Reduces city tax revenue used for healthcare, education, and waste programs
✗ Drives tobacco sales to neighboring cities or the illicit market
We Need Better Solutions — Not Bans
Capitola is already equipped to address tobacco litter without banning legal products or harming public health.
✔️ Ash Receptacles
✔️ Education Campaigns
✔️ Recycling Programs
- Installing ash receptacles alone has led to a 5.5% increase in proper cigarette disposal5
- Educational campaigns have been shown to reduce cigarette litter by 50% or more2
- TerraCycle's Cigarette Waste Brigade, in partnership with tobacco companies, turns cigarette butts into industrial products like pallets and benches3
50% Reduction in Cigarette Litter
in communities using Keep America Beautiful’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.
- Strategic ash bin placement
- Community education
- Cigarette butt recycling into useful materials
These programs reduce actual litter without harming small businesses—or banning legal products. And since cigarette waste isn’t even the top beach litter in Capitola, this approach is more targeted and effective.
“We don’t need a ban on filtered tobacco—we need to expand the smart systems we already have.”
- California Fuels + Convenience Alliance
– It Only Takes 1 Minute
Fill out this quick form which be automatically be sent to your Capitola City Council representative and join us in person on August 28, 2025 at Capitola City Hall at 4:00PM.
Let them know:
“I oppose this ordinance because it bans filtered tobacco and leaves only unfiltered cigarettes—the most harmful option—available. It will hurt small businesses and cut funding from vital local services. Capitola deserves smarter solutions.”
Citations & Reference Materials
1 City of Capitola. (2022, October 27). Staff report: Consideration of ordinance prohibiting the sale of tobacco products with single-use filters [Agenda item report]. https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/capitolaca-meet-96f8240639a8451f8dbc85a4ee9b4595/ITEM-Attachment-001-626a49a9c76449649f0fd25cd5fec63f.pdf
2 Clean Virginia Waterways. (n.d.). Cigarette litter prevention tips. Longwood University. https://lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/Cigarette%20Butt%20Litter%20Prevention%20Tips.pdf
3 PR News. (2013, March 11). Case study: TerraCycle teams with tobacco company for cigarette waste collection effort—No ifs, ands or butts about it. PR News. https://www.prnewsonline.com/case-study-terracycle-teams-with-tobacco-company-for-cigarette-waste-collection-effortno-ifs-ands-or-butts-about-it
4 Tanner N. T., Thomas, N. A., Ward, R., Rojewski, A., Gebregziabher, M., Toll, B., & Silvestri, G. A. (2019). Association of Cigarette Type With Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Secondary Analysis of the National Lung Screening Trial. JAMA internal medicine, 179(12), 1710–1712. https://www.prnewsonline.com/case-study-terracycle-teams-with-tobacco-company-for-cigarette-waste-collection-effortno-ifs-ands-or-butts-about-it/
5 Waste Advantage Magazine. (n.d.). Recycling case study: Cigarette butts. Waste Advantage Magazine. Retrieved from https://wasteadvantagemag.com/cigarette-butt-recycling/