Fire-Safe Cigarettes Are Now the Law in Florida. Any Cigarette Sold in Florida Must Be Fire-Safe

As of January 1, 2010, Florida has a new law stating that all cigarettes sold in that state must be fire-safe. Fire-safe cigarettes are cigarettes that stop burning when they are not being puffed on (smoked).

Fire fighters see it all too often, victims who die in fires started by carelessly discarded cigarettes. The fires start when a dropped lighted cigarette butt ignites a couch, chair, bed or wastebasket. Often victims are asleep, or it's too late for them to escape. Fire-safe cigarettes that self extinguish should go a long way to prevent these tragedies.

Victims of cigarette fires are often surprised at how much damage one little discarded cigarette butt can do. But according to the National Fire Protection Association, fires started by discarded cigarettes are the leading cause of home fire deaths. Florida is one of 12 states where the fire-safe cigarette law takes effect on January1, 2010 for the first time. All the other states except Wyoming already have a fire-safe cigarette law.

Cigarette manufacturers say the new design will not raise the price of the product. Making fire-safe cigarettes requires wrapping each cigarette with two or three thin bands of less porous cigarette paper. These thin paper bands act as "speed bumps" to slow down a burning cigarette. The speed bumps make the cigarette stop burning when the smoker stops puffing.

The first line of defense is for smokers to extinguish their cigarettes properly. If this fails the fire-safe cigarette design will make the cigarette stop burning. The fire-safe cigarettes also go out when the smoker leaves the cigarette in an ashtray. This may necessitate relighting the cigarette which some smokers find annoying. Some smokers also report that fire-safe cigarettes taste bad and make them sick.

As smokers age, their risk of injury or death in home fires caused by smoking, increases dramatically. Older adults (65+) are responsible for 21% of fire injuries and 34% of fire deaths, according to the United States Fire Administration. Over 1200 Americans over 65, perish each year. Over 3000 are injured. The older smoker may be asleep, slowed by medication or challenged by physical or mental problems.

Adults between 65 and 75 have a fire death rate twice that of the national average. Those between 75 and 85 have a fire death rate of three times the national average. Smokers over the age of 85 have a fire death rate four times the national average .Fire-safe cigarettes should help reverse this problem in Florida's aging population.

Most smokers don't have any objection to fire-safe cigarettes. A "pack a day" smoker says the fire-safe cigarettes are okay with him. Although annoying, relighting seems to make his cigarettes last longer.

Sources:

St.Pete Times

EnvironmentalGeriatrics.com

TBO.com