Sacramento County and the City of Fresno filed California lawsuits in July 2026 seeking recovery of public costs allegedly associated with discarded cigarette filters.
The complaints focus on cellulose-acetate filters as persistent plastic waste and allege that public entities bear cleanup and related environmental costs that should instead be allocated to the companies responsible for designing and selling the products.
Coverage of the filings has highlighted the developing public-entity litigation, Sacramento County’s retention of McIntyre Schnieders and co-counsel, and Chris Schnieders’ role as lead trial counsel for Sacramento County.
Selected Coverage
- Nicotine Insider — California Suits Target Cigarette Filter Waste ↗
- The SOL Project — Sacramento County Sues Big Tobacco Over Cigarette Filter Pollution ↗
- Generation Without Tobacco — Sacramento County takes legal action over cigarette filters ↗
- Hoodline — Sacramento Takes Big Tobacco To Court Over Filter Pollution ↗
- Public Health Law Center — City of Fresno v. Philip Morris litigation tracker ↗
The lawsuits contain allegations that have not yet been adjudicated. The linked reporting is published by independent third parties; McIntyre Schnieders does not control or endorse every statement in those reports.