ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — A baby bird was photographed with a cigarette in its mouth at a Florida beach. The photos are reminders that cigarettes can be harmful to both humans and animals.
Karen Mason snapped the photos last week in St. Pete Beach. They show a black skimmer feeding a cigarette butt to a chick.
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Pat DePlasco, the executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful, told WFLA: "People don't think cigarette butts are litter. They think, 'Oh, it's paper.' Well, it's paper and toxic chemicals, and it's also plastic and it is extremely harmful for not only ourselves, but it's harmful for the environment."
Mason posted the photos online, where they quickly sparked outrage. Mason, who helps educate people about birds, hopes the photos will lead to change, including keeping beaches beautiful.
"You have little kids out there that are going to be picking this stuff up, and who knows which kid is going to pick up and stick in their mouth," said Mason.