Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
Denver sues tobacco companies over cigarette butt litter cleanup costs
Lawsuit filed
The City of Denver filed a 72-page lawsuit against 10 cigarette companies, including Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., accusing them of creating a public nuisance by selling cigarettes with environmentally persistent synthetic plastic filters. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a court order requiring the companies to prevent, reduce, manage, remove, or remediate cigarette-filter impacts.
Stated objective. We want to make sure that they pay their fair share of the cost that cities are bearing to clean up their mess and that we want to see them change the practice
Company response
Denial — ITG Brands
As a responsible manufacturer, we take this matter seriously and disagree with the claims made against us. We will respond through the appropriate legal process
Source excerpt
In a 72-page lawsuit, the Mile High City accuses 10 cigarette companies of creating a “public nuisance” by selling smokes with environmentally “persistent” synthetic plastic filters instead of biodegradable ones.
In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for defendant ITG Brands — which makes Winston, Kool and Salem cigarettes — said the company was aware of the lawsuit.
Denver is smoking mad over the “enormous quantities” of cigarette butts littering its public places — so it's suing Big Tobacco to help pay for the cleanup.