Changzhou gives out portable ashtrays

Urban patrol officers in Changzhou, China, have started to distribute portable ashtrays in an attempt to reduce the number of cigarette butts littering streets, according to a China Daily story quoting the Modern Express Daily.

The first 5,000 portable ashtrays were distributed free of charge on Friday in Nandajie, the city’s busiest commercial street.

More than 3,000 cigarette butts are said to be dropped daily in a 600-meter stretch of Nandajie.

But while many people think the portable ash trays could help protect the environment and reduce fire hazards, some have questioned whether they encourage smoking in public areas.