Maui, rated as "Best Island in the World" by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler for 13 years, is trying to keep its beaches beautiful, working with the Pacific Whale Foundation on the "Butts off the Beach" campaign to prevent cigarette butt litter.

The campaign includes ads and public service announcements, and the distribution of free pocket ashtrays to store extinguished cigarette butts until they can be disposed of properly.

The Pacific Whale Foundation, a Maui-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting appreciation, understanding and protection of whales, dolphins, coral reefs and the ocean, launched the "Butts off the Beach" campaign in 2001.

In early 2008, the program received additional funding from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and Maui County's Office of Economic Development. Community Work Day, a Maui nonprofit dedicated to litter prevention, also provided assistance.

More than 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year, according to Brooke Porter, conservation director at the Pacific Whale Foundation. Butts are the "most prevalent form of marine debris on earth, accounting for one in every five items collected during coastal clean-ups," she said.

"Many smokers have the misconception that cigarette butts biodegrade," Porter said. "Our campaign teaches smokers that cigarette butts are made of long-lasting materials including cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which can take up to 25 years to decompose," Porter said.

Cigarette butts can contain over 165 chemicals, such as cadmium, lead and arsenic, which can leach into the marine environment within an hour of contact with water.

Butts also can poison wildlife when accidentally ingested, Porter said. Ingesting cigarette butts can block the digestive tract or fill the stomach, resulting in malnutrition or starvation.

The pocket ashtrays are recycled film canisters partly filled with sand and decorated with colorful "Butts off the Beach" stickers. The ashtrays are being distributed by Maui retailers.