Smoking cigarettes is a simple pleasure for many, but being
reckless with your butts, or worse, a lit cigarette can result in
hefty fines and even land you before a court.
The following outlines the potential offences and penalties that
relate to improperly discarding cigarettes, including the general
offence of littering and the more serious offence of discarding a
lighted cigarette, as well as the potential defences that
apply.
The offence of
littering
The general
offence of littering is contained in
section 145 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act
1997 (NSW).
This offence applies when a person deposits litter in or on a
public place or an open private place. Litter includes cigarettes
and cigarette butts.
