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LaBELLA: Cigarette butts can contribute to wildfires  

But there is another fire hazard that is not mentioned that can be a major factor in wildfires - cigarette butts.

You may have seen an area of burned grass in the medians of our highways and interstates. A cigarette butt tossed out of a car window most likely caused this. It was probably an absent minded thing as many people do not even consider it litter. Here are some facts everyone should know about cigarette butts:

Dropped cigarette butts have been the cause of numerous house and apartment fires . . .

Cigarette butts contain Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Formaldehyde, Acetone, and Benzene. The nicotine trapped inside 200 cigarette butts is enough to kill an adult human. These chemicals and compounds get washed out of the filter and into our water when it rains. . . .

The Department of the Navy works hard on pollution prevention, health and safety, storm water controls, and other environmental regulations. Please help us protect our Natural Resources and set an example for others to follow.

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