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July 27, 2011 / 12:22 PM

Smokers urged not to leave butts on beach

This FDA image released on June 21, 2011 shows one of the new proposed cigarette warning labels. Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking. UPI/FDA

1 of 3 | This FDA image released on June 21, 2011 shows one of the new proposed cigarette warning labels. Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking. UPI/FDA | License Photo

ROME, July 27 (UPI) -- Environmentalists have a message for those who smoke on Italian beaches: Stop leaving your cigarette butts behind.

The group Marevivo plans to distribute 100,000 reusable, pocket-sized ashtrays, along with literature on beach litter, to smokers at 330 beaches on Aug. 6-7, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

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"Isn't the sea worth more than a smoke?" the group said in a statement.

Marevivo hopes to reduce the number of butts left along the nearly 5,000 miles of Italian coastline.

The group says nearly 12 million butts cover Italian beaches and take one to five years to fully biodegrade, endangering children's health and spoiling the scenery.

Cigarette butts are among the top 10 types of trash floating in the Mediterranean Sea, a recent U.N. study found.

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