TORONTO, Oct. 14, 2026 /CNW/ -- A Greener Future together with Unsmoke Canada, an initiative of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH), released new data at the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors Ontario Conference based on discarded cigarette filters. 

The research examines filters recovered from parks across the Greater Toronto Area. The study looks at the prevalence of compliant, illegal or non-compliant, and unidentified cigarette filters found in public spaces.

"Cigarette filters are among the most common forms of litter in public spaces," said Rochelle Byrne, Executive Director, A Greener Future. "This research shows how material collected through community cleanups can also be used to generate meaningful environmental and public-health data."

A Greener Future volunteers counted all the discarded cigarette filters collected from 34 separate events at 6 different locations and classified them as legal, illegal or non-compliant, or unidentified by examining whether the filter papers have Health Canada's health warnings on them. Among the 38,476 filters that could be identified, 42% were non-compliant. 

The findings provide a new environmental lens on the presence of illicit tobacco products and are consistent with broader research into Canada's illegal tobacco market, including findings from an EY Canada report commissioned by the Convenience Industry Council of Canada.

"Illicit tobacco is a serious issue, and better data can help build a clearer understanding of what is happening across the country," said Danny Fournier, Director of Illicit Trade Prevention at RBH. "We are proud to help bring this research to public-health professionals and support broader discussion about new ways to understand and combat the illicit market."

The findings will be presented through the exhibit, What Can Cigarette Litter Tell Us? Using Environmental Waste as a Non-Invasive Public-Health Data Source, at the conference from October 14-16 at Toronto Metropolitan University.

About Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.
Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH), an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc., is one of Canada's leading tobacco and nicotine companies and is working to deliver a smoke-free future. RBH is committed to sustainability and creating a positive impact on communities, the economy, and the environment. Currently, RBH employs nearly 800 people across the country, with its headquarters in Toronto and a factory in Québec City. Discover more about the company at  https://www.rbhinc.ca/ and stay updated on RBH's transformation by following Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.