Keep America Beautiful Announces Cigarette Litter Prevention Grant Recipients

Keep America Beautiful, the Stamford, Conn.-based nonprofit, has announced the recipients of its Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. Forty-two organizations, including local governments, business improvement districts and downtown associations, will receive grants totaling $295,000.

“The 2018 grant recipients are charged with moving the program forward to help educate and inspire smokers to do the right thing,” said Helen Lowman, president and CEO at Keep America Beautiful, in a statement. “The new marketing assets, which any community can localize and use, will enable affiliates, local governments and other community groups to teach adult smokers about the negative impacts related to littering and the role they can play in improving their community.”

The program, which was established 16 years ago, has helped to reduce cigarette litter in the communities in which it’s been implemented by an average of 50 percent, based on measurements taken in the first four to six months after implementation.

To combat against litter, the program advocates that participating communities install four approaches: encourage enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litter; raise awareness about the issue; place ash receptacles in places like entrances to public buildings; and distribute portable ashtrays to smokers.