How to Flick a Cigarette

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Some people flick cigarettes away when they are done smoking them. While this might look cool to some, it can be very dangerous and illegal. You should never do anything that can be a hazard to others. However, you can learn to flick a non-burning cigarette with style, and you can flick the cigarette's ash safely into an ashtray.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Flicking a Cigarette

1
Smoke the cigarette properly. You generally want to start out by holding a cigarette somewhere in its filter area. The filter is the portion of the cigarette toward its end that is often a different color from the cigarette itself.
- Don't inhale the smoke right into your lungs. Think of your mouth as a "staging area" for the cigarette. Put your lips around the filter area about 5 mm into the cigarette itself.
- The filter end of the cigarette shouldn't extend past your teeth. Draw smoke into your mouth through the cigarette. You will want to periodically flick the ash into an ashtray.
- Consider flicking the cigarette away for good when it has burned almost to where the filter starts. You could stop when it burns about 8 and 12mm in. Any closer and you risk burning your mouth.
2
Use your fingers to flick a cigarette away. When the cigarette is almost finished, place the butt between your middle finger and thumb.^{[1]
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- Take the last few puffs of the cigarette, and put it out on a wall, the ground, or the sole of your shoe. It's much safer if you do so. Never flick a lit cigarette as it could cause a fire.
- Roll your middle finger over the butt, so that it meets the pad of your thumb, and the butt is wedged between the tip of the thumb and the nail of the middle finger. Hold your little finger and index finger out.
- Flick the butt away from you. Moving your arm in the direction you wish to flick the butt, as you flick it, can help it travel further. In contrast, people usually hold their cigarette in between their ring and middle fingers in a gentle manner.
3
Master some bar tricks with cigarette ash. Want to impress? How about learning a bar trick instead of just flicking a cigarette.
- Light your cigarette. Smoke it to the end without any ash being lost. Here's how: Straighten out a paper clip and put it all the way through the cigarette.
- The paper clip will prevent any of the ash from falling off even as the cigarette burns.^{[2]
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- That trick Clint Eastwood supposedly did on a talk show by flicking a cigarette from his breast pocket into his mouth? It seems to be an urban legend, as the actor reportedly doesn't even smoke.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Flicking a Cigarette's Ashes Away

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Flick a cigarette by flicking the burnt ash into an ashtray. If you smoke, you may want to at least do it with style. Smokers use their fingers to flick ash off a cigarette instead of tapping the cigarette on an ashtray.
- You will need to flick the cigarette into the ashtray several times while it burns. You want to flick it when the ash looks like it might fall. Hold the cigarette between the thumb and middle finger.
- Lightly tap the cigarette over the ashtray with your index finger. This is how you flick cigarette ashes. The process is sometimes called "ashing" the cigarette. As noted, don't tape the cigarette against the ashtray or you will look like a cigarette smoking novice!
- Don't tap ash onto carpet or the ground or any surface other than into an ashtray. You could cause a fire.
2
Using other finger combinations to ash a cigarette. There is not one way to ash a cigarette. There are other methods that involve other fingers. Some people believe the way you hold and flick a cigarette reveals your personality.^{[4]
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- An alternative method is to hold the cigarette between the thumb and index finger. Then, tap the middle finger against the cigarette to ash the cigarette.
- You could also hold the cigarette in your index finger and middle finger. Squeeze the cigarette tightly. Use the thumb to flick the filter. This should flick the ash into the tray.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Recognizing the Danger from Flicking a Cigarette

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Consider where you’re flicking the cigarette. It’s one thing to flick a cigarette into an ashtray. It’s quite another to flick it outside. Most people consider doing so littering. It can also be illegal and dangerous. ^{[5]
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- Flicking burning ash outside can be a fire hazard. Some people flick their cigarettes out of car windows: that’s equally dangerous because it could cause a major fire!
- Cigarette ash and butts ruin the natural landscape, and are hazardous in addition to being ugly. They are considered a form of pollution that harms the planet.^{[6]
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- In some states, it can be a crime to flick a cigarette out your car window. For example, Indiana state police cracked down on people flicking cigarette butts out of car windows during summer drought conditions. In Paris, they might give you a fine if you flick your cigarette ash on a sidewalk. ^{[7]
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2
Think about stopping smoking completely. Everyone knows smoking can cause you lung cancer, make you age prematurely and other bad effects.^{[9]
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Research source}So why do it?
- There are many resources available to help you stop smoking. Be aware that smoking is both a physical and a psychological addiction. You might think you're just doing it a few times, but you risk becoming addicted.^{[10]
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- Experts suggest that you learn how to spot your smoking triggers: those times of day or things that make you feel like smoking.^{[11]
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Warnings

Lit butts can also be dangerous to others, as well as yourself, as the lit tip can be extremely hot ,and the chemicals in the butt are toxic.

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Flicking a lit cigarette can be a fire hazard, so putting it out first is highly recommended.

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Cigarette butts are unpleasant for others, and flicking them is considered littering.

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