HAMBURG, N.Y. — They’re called the "Butt Kickers," but they have nothing to do with working out. Their mission is to rid the world of cigarette butt litter. There are 4 trillion cigarette butts consumed globally every year.


What You Need To Know

  • Hamburg Butt Kickers formed about 18 months ago

  • Once a week they clean the Village of Hamburg, primarily looking for cigarette butts, but also trash

  • The group is working with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to raise awareness of the health and environmental impact of smoking

Let’s be honest, not many people are excited about finding a cigarette butt. But for the Hamburg Butt Kickers, finding a "live" one, or scraping one out of the crack in a sidewalk is a thrill.

“We have the world’s smallest billboard, we will do anything to educate people to the toxicity of cigarette butts,” Maureen O’Brien, chair of the Hamburg Butt Kickers said. “We are going to be rotating butt facts.”

The billboard sits at the entrance to Peace Park in the Village on Hamburg. It’s a hot spot for public parking and cigarette butt litter. It’s about starting a conversation and raising awareness.

The Butt Kickers, which is part of the group Imagine Hamburg, formed thanks to Dave Zalikowski. He’s a groundskeeper for the village.

“I only did it for myself, to make my job easier,” Zalikowski laughed.

It started with one container. So far, Zalikowski has made 10 for the village. 

“This one is our best producer, it’s in front of the bowling alley,” Zalikowski said. “We get about 300 cigarette butts in about 30 days.”

The group searches for cigarette butts once a week, they’re also spearheading an effort to get 20 ash receptacles for local businesses, and ash cups attached to village trash cans.

The Butt Kickers have caught the attention of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Tobacco Free WNY. So, Spectrum News 1 went to Roswell to learn more from Dr. Andrew Hyland. He’s the chair of behavioral health at Roswell and an international tobacco control expert.

“There’s about a billion cigarette butts smoked in Western New York,” Hyland said.

That’s 1 billion annually. Dr. Hyland points out how we’ve all seen the cigarette butts improperly disposed of. But, have we ever thought about what the implication actually is?

“They end up essentially being mini chemical barrels that get put into the environment,” Hyland said.

Dr. Hyland explains the toxins and chemicals in cigarettes are drawn to the butt as a smoker inhales.

“You take a look at them and you see that brown pattern, that’s all the tar,” Hyland said.

But that’s not his only concern.

“The butts themselves, they really don’t degrade,” Hyland said. “They take about 10 years maybe to degrade.”

Hyland says that’s because the filters in those butts are plastic. All the more reason to make sure these butts end up in the container, where they’ll be properly disposed of.

“It’s not good for anybody, and it’s certainly not nice to look at,” Maureen O’Brien, chair of the Hamburg Butt Kickers said.

They are always looking for volunteers.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

It's important to address the health issues of smoking as well. The American Lung Association just released its fourth annual State of Lung Cancer report. It finds a disturbing trend in New York State.

Black Americans are 22% less likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer early — compared to White Americans. Early detection is key in successfully treating the disease.

A highlight of the report is the five-year survival rate, which went from 14.5% to nearly 24% across the United States. New York has the third-highest survival rate.

Now back to the Butt Kickers, the association is commending their work, adding there are issues to think about in terms of lung quality and air pollution as well.

"Trying to address this through other policy solutions, not just treating lung cancer, but also looking at ways to decrease the burden of air pollution,” Trevor Summerfield, Director of Advocacy in NY for the American Lung Association said. “Especially on communities of Color. Like the electrician of vehicles, not just personally owned cars, but trucks and even buses like the ones our kids take every day."

If you're trying to quit smoking, the New York State Smokers' Quitline is 1-866-NY-QUITS.