Litter menace - Tougher action is necessary

OF the many unsightly blots on Ireland’s streetscape, discarded chewing gum is among the worst. Stroll down any busy street and one sees pavements pock-marked with blobs of dirty grey gunge.

Incredibly, these sticky lumps are not regarded as litter by those who engage in the disgusting practice of ejecting spittle-covered gum on the ground. Alternatively, they secrete it beneath the seats of buses, trains or cinemas. Not only is chewing gum a menace, clinging to shoes and clothing, it adds millions to the cost of cleaning up the streets.

In a welcome initiative, Environment Minister John Gormley plans to tackle the litter problem. But it is debatable if the leader of the Greens is going far enough by increasing on-the-spot fines from €125 to €150 in September.

With the Beijing Olympics only two years away, the Chinese authorities launched a similar campaign against the unhealthy habit of spitting. In contrast with China, however, where fines increased tenfold, the Irish government’s clamp down will see moderately increased fines imposed on people who litter the streets with cigarette butts, chewing gum, fast-food debris and the like.

To help eradicate this problem, chewing gum manufacturers should contribute significantly towards the cost of power-hosing their products from the pavements of cities and towns.

With the country’s image and the public purse in question, much tougher action is warranted to clean up Ireland’s streets.