Background: Cigarette butts are the most commonly collected waste item worldwide. Discarded filters harm the environment, and 99% of cigarettes have cellulose-acetate filters that are not easily biodegradable. Filters do not reduce health consequences of smoking and are a marketing tool for cigarettes sales. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about filters and policies to reduce environmental impact were examined among US adults.

Methods: Data from 2018 using the Ipsos Knowledge Panel of adults aged 18-64 (n=2,797) examined beliefs regarding filters, knowledge of filter composition, support for banning filtered cigarettes sales, and support for adding a $0.75 cleanup fee. Weighted chi-square statistics assessed smoker status association with filter composition knowledge and beliefs. Weighted multivariate analyses examined support for policies controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, political philosophy, and smoking status.

Results: Regardless of smoking status, 71% of participants did not know plastic was a component of filters. Additionally, 20% believed that filters were biodegradable, with 32% of current smokers reporting this belief. Overall, 23% believed filters reduce harm and 60% believed filters make it easier to smoke, yet 90% believed cigarette butts are harmful to the environment. Multivariate analyses showed that individuals believing filters make cigarettes less harmful [adjusted odds ratio(aOR)= 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.40-0.61] and easier to smoke [aOR=0.69, CI: 0.58-0.83] had lower odds of supporting a filter policy ban. Participants believing cigarette butts harmed the environment had greater odds of supporting a $0.75 cleanup fee [aOR=2.33, CI: 1.71-3.17]. Individuals believing filters make cigarettes less harmful [aOR=0.66, CI: 0.53-0.83] and filters are biodegradable [aOR=0.68, CI: 0.53-0.87] had lower odds of supporting a fee.

Conclusions: More education is needed as a knowledge gap exists among smokers and non-smokers regarding composition, harm reduction, and biodegradability of filters. Policy efforts can reduce filters as single-use plastic waste products.