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By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque is suing some of the biggest names in tobacco to make them pay for the cleanup of cigarette butts that clog city storm drains, litter public parks and reach the Rio Grande. The city alleges the companies have known for decades that their plastic filters create pollution and cost cities money, yet continued selling them and leaving local taxpayers to pick up the tab.
Filed last week in New Mexico’s Second Judicial District Court, the lawsuit aims to recover costs tied to plastic filter waste from seven tobacco corporations and a local distributor. Made mostly of cellulose acetate, the plastic filters can persist in the environment and break down into microplastics. One study estimates filters take up to 14 years to decompose in soil. The city alleges discarded filters collect on sidewalks and streets before wind and stormwater wash them into Albuquerque’s arroyos, drainage channels and the Rio Grande. The complaint opens by citing Philip Morris International’s own website: “By 2030 there could be more cigarette butts than fish in the oceans.”
The lawsuit names seven cigarette manufacturers, their parent companies and a local distributor:
- Philip Morris USA Inc. — Manufacturer of Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims.
- Altria Group Inc. — Parent company of Philip Morris USA.
- R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. — Manufacturer of Newport, Camel, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.
- Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc. — Manufacturer of Natural American Spirit.
- Reynolds American Inc. — Parent company of R.J. Reynolds and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco.
- British American Tobacco plc — Parent company of Reynolds American.
- Liggett Group LLC — Manufacturer of Pyramid, Grand Prix and Liggett Select.
- BSR Distributing Inc. (Blue Sky Distributors) — Albuquerque-based distributor supplying filtered cigarettes to retailers.
“Our storm drains should carry water, not toxic garbage,” Mayor Tim Keller said. “And the companies profiting from these products should take responsibility for the lasting harm they have on the environment and our essential systems.”
Albuquerque joins a growing group of local governments suing tobacco companies over cigarette-filter pollution. Baltimore filed the first lawsuit in 2022, followed by Fresno and Sacramento County, Calif., this summer and Denver, in August. The city’s complaint cites a 2020 study estimating that the 30 largest U.S. cities spend a combined $264.5 million annually cleaning up tobacco waste, an average of $6.46 per resident. Individual cities spend between $4.7 million and more than $90 million each year clearing cigarette butts, sweeping streets and unclogging storm drains.
The lawsuit now heads to court, where Albuquerque is asking for a jury trial. The tobacco companies have a few weeks to respond or ask a judge to dismiss the case. If the case moves forward, the city wants the industry to pay for the damage and fund a court-ordered cleanup program.
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