smartphone with map marking locations of cigarette butts

Engaging Communities in the Tobacco Endgame: Mapping Tobacco Product Litter in the Neighborhood

Waste from tobacco (T), e-cigarette (E), and cannabis (C) (TEC) is harmful to the environment, as it does not break down and contains toxic substances. This waste often ends up in public places like streets, parks, and beaches, where it can flow into storm drains and end up in waterways.

We are developing a smartphone app to empower community members as citizen scientists. The app helps track, map, and share TEC waste data, raising awareness and supporting effective tobacco control policies. This project supports the California Tobacco Endgame’s goal to end commercial tobacco and nicotine use by 2035 by engaging communities to reduce TEC waste and advocate for healthier tobacco-free environments.

Learn more about the California Tobacco Endgame

We are launching a contest to name the app! Follow us on social media to stay up to date about the naming contest.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Georg Matt

Resources

We presented our project and app at our First Annual Symposium for Tobacco and the Environment and the 2024 American Public Health Association Conference.

View the Symposium poster here.

View the APHA poster here.