Forest Friends Reminds Motorists Not to Throw Ciga

CALGARY, Alberta, May 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A group of concerned Albertans has come together to create an organization called Forest Friends to raise awareness about the dangers of throwing cigarette butts out the vehicle window. 

After the forest fires last summer in Alberta and British Columbia, Ken Lapp, and a group of friends got together to find ways to prevent future fires through a public awareness campaign.

“We realized that a lot of these forest fires happen because people tend to throw their cigarette butts on the road,” said Lapp.  In 2017, the media reported that 40 per cent of forest fires were caused by lightning strikes, while 60 per cent of forest fires were the result of human activities such as campfires, off-road vehicles and carelessly discarded cigarette butts.

Since 2000, vehicles are no longer equipped with ashtrays and this has led to an increase in the number of cigarette butts smokers throw out the window.

Forest Friends’ mission is to raise public awareness of these effects and encourage drivers to get portable ashtrays for their vehicles.  They are readily available, smokeless and inexpensive.

“The 2017 wildfires had a significant impact on the community with many people losing their homes and thousands of acres of timber burnt to the ground.  The fires also impacted the enjoyment of our mountain parks during Canada’s 150 ^th anniversary celebrations,” said Lapp, a local business operator in the Calgary area.

“Our campaign is for people to understand our message and spread the word,” said Lapp. “We believe that family and friends are key to getting smokers not to throw their smoldering butts out the window.”

For additional information contact Ken Lapp, Founder of Forest Friends Phone: 403-540-8700 Email:  ken.lapp@westech-ind.com