An otherwise adorable photo of an African penguin on the beach in Simon's Town, South Africa, was spoiled by one glaring detail: a disposable vape pen in its mouth.
The photographer posted the photo on Reddit, writing, "Dispose of your vapes properly."
Commenters were immediately moved by the scene. "I'm just disgusted and sad," one person said.
Other users were quick to point out the irony of endangering an animal with a product that is also inherently dangerous to — yet willingly consumed by — people.
"Even better, don't buy disposable vapes because they're a serious problem," one person wrote.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, in addition to the well-known dangers of nicotine, vapes pose the additional threats of heavy metals, tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, highly toxic volatile organic compounds, and flavorings such as diacetyl, which is linked to a serious lung disease.
Not only that; the accumulative waste of disposable plastic vapes has been growing as vape use has skyrocketed. Retail purchasing has gone up nearly 400% in the last decade, according to Truth Initiative. Used cartridges are showing up in people's yards, on the roads (they've even been known to puncture tires), and on beaches. This is no surprise, considering that nearly 50% of youth who are vaping don't know how to properly dispose of their used cartridges.
This means that these small, brightly colored plastics and metals often find their way into animal habitats, where creatures such as this penguin can easily mistake them for food. They then often choke to death on large pieces or consume enough smaller pieces that they begin to feel full, while in reality they are starving to death with stomachs full of plastic.
"Any disposable electronics laying around just adds to more waste and danger to the health and safety of everyone and the planet," one Redditor lamented.
"These things need to be gone asap," another said.
Individuals should do their best to advocate with their consumer dollars and only support brands that have plastic-free packaging. And if you're a vape user, be sure to properly dispose of your used vapes.
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