Senator seeks tougher penalties for drivers who throw cigarette butts from car windows

Throwing a cigarette butt from a car window could become far more expensive in France under a proposal from Aude Senator Sébastien Pla.

Pla wants penalties to vary according to the wildfire risk level set by local prefectures. In areas under the highest level of vigilance, offenders could face up to one year in prison and a €15,000 fine.

The senator says firefighters in Aude, a department that includes the Corbières massif, estimate that cigarette butts cause almost half of all fire starts there. An Ipsos BVA poll conducted this summer for the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation found that nearly 17% of smokers admitted they had thrown a cigarette butt from a car window.

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In Aude, firefighters estimate that almost half of fire starts are caused by cigarette butts.

Pla called the usual €135 fine “ridiculous given how dangerous it is” and said stronger deterrents were needed. “Obviously, I do not want to put smokers in prison,” he said, “but French people must understand that such an apparently harmless act can have dramatic consequences.”

Pla proposed similar legislation a year ago, but Parliament did not examine it amid legislative disputes. He plans to bring it back when the parliamentary session resumes and hopes to secure support from senators, including lawmakers from Gironde and Bouches-du-Rhône.

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Obviously, I do not want to put smokers in prison, but French people must understand that such an apparently harmless act can have dramatic consequences.