Fire-safe Cigarettes in California
Fire-safe cigarettes are now required in California starting January 1, 2007 (from NFPA.org).
October 13, 2005 – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent approval of a bill mandating the use of cigarettes that are much less likely to cause fires will save lives in that state and could lead to nationwide use of such “fire-safe” cigarettes. Last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 178, the California Cigarette Safety and Firefighter Protection Act.As a result, that legislation, sponsored by California Assemblymember Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), will require that all cigarettes sold and manufactured in California after January 1, 2007, will be required to comply with standards demonstrating that they have a reduced propensity to burn when left unattended. Such “fire-safe” cigarettes help prevent smoking-related fires. Each year, smoking-related fires needlessly kill approximately 800 people across the country. They are the leading cause of home fire fatalities and a threat to firefighters and other first responders.
Fire-safe cigarette requirements are already in place in the states of New York and Vermont. A recent preliminary report out of New York showed that the number of deaths caused by cigarette-ignited fires has dropped 33 percent since that state’s fire-safe cigarette requirement went into effect.
This is a good thing for firefighters and for the public. It probably won't be long and all 50 states will require fire-safe cigarettes.
Comments
Boy! One way to get people to quit is to make cigarettes that not only burn out when they are attended, they also make them so they can tast nasty as hell. I smoke Virgina Slims Ultra Lights and they may as well be as strong as Marboro reds! These cigarettes taste like you are smoking manuer! I'll find other brands to smoke even if I have to buy them illegally! This sucks! It figures the damn drunks who pass out with cigarettes in their hands have to ruin it for the rest of us. How about banning drinking!!!!
Posted by: Unhappy Smoker at January 8, 2007 08:04 PM
Thanks for stopping by Firewhirl and leaving a comment.
While I can certainly understand your point of view regarding the taste of the cigarettes that you smoke, from a firefighting perspective, fire-safe cigarettes are a good thing.
They will reduce the number of fires and the number of deaths due to fires.
I agree that it really sucks when a few people screw things up for the majority.
Posted by: Joe at January 9, 2007 07:40 AM
