A Dublin environmental group is calling for a smoking ban on beaches.
The Sandycove Clean Coast group was speaking as part of Climate Action Week.
The environmental group says cigarette butts are littering sea beds, which are being ingested by fish and are posing a major threat to marine life.
They've been described as a scourge which is contributing to plastic pollution in the ocean. Cigarettes filters can take up to 10 years to break down.
The organisation says the government and local authorities need to create awareness and take action.
According to the Herald, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county council, which has some of the most visited beaches in the country, has said it has no plans to pilot smoke free areas.
Countries including Spain and Italy have already banned smoking on beaches.
