San Diego County Tobacco Product Waste Work Group & Summit
The San Diego State University Center for Tobacco and the Environment, SAY San Diego, City of Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Priya Bhat-Patel, City of Coronado Councilmember Amy Steward, Surfrider San Diego, San Diego Sierra Club, San Dieguito Alliance for Drug Free Youth, and Vista Community Clinic are pleased to co-sponsor the San Diego County Tobacco Product Waste Work Group Meetings and Summit. The Work Group is a new countywide initiative to develop a coordinated approach to reducing the environmental, fiscal, and health impacts of tobacco product waste (TPW).
Tobacco product waste, including discarded cigarette butts, vapes, and nicotine pouches, is San Diego County’s most littered form of plastic trash. It is a toxic and costly burden on our beaches, parks, and neighborhoods. Addressing it effectively will require the participation of local governments, environmental organizations, public-health professionals, community groups, researchers, and other stakeholders with expertise and perspectives on the problem and potential solutions.
Rather than starting with a predetermined policy recommendation, the Work Group will convene stakeholders to examine the scope and impacts of TPW throughout the County, review approaches implemented or considered elsewhere in California, consider policy options for San Diego County communities, and develop recommendations for a coordinated regional approach.
The process will include three Working Group meetings, followed by a public community forum. Working Group meetings will be held in person at 9245 Sky Park Court, San Diego, with a Zoom option.
