October is Fire Prevention Month. It’s a great time to review ways to protect your family and your home from the ravages of a fire. Some ideas include designing a family fire escape plan and installing or checking on smoke detectors in various rooms throughout your home. Another tip—use this month to talk to your children about the dangers of smoking. Did you know fires started by cigarettes kill more than 1,000 people every year in the United States? Yet, there are still people who choose to light up in their homes.
Unfortunately, if you have a friend or loved one who fits into this category then you know unless they decide to make the commitment to stop smoking on their own there is little you can do to protect them from what could happen if their cigarette “accidentally” starts a house fire. At least that’s what I thought until I learned that tobacco companies have developed a new technology to prevent some of those fires… only in most cases they aren’t using it.
Before I tell you why, I want to offer the disclaimer that I think smoking is a horrible habit (and all of the smokers I know agree). It is not only a deadly habit, but it is also one that studies show is often passed on from generation to generation. I am in no way condoning the act of smoking, but if you do have a loved one who refuses to quit, this information may help you to help them.
Recently, lawmakers in the state in which I reside (Wisconsin) announced they would be pushing a bill that would require all cigarettes sold in the state to be “fire-safe.” Six states have already enacted similar legislation and are seeing beneficial results. For example, in New York, fire deaths caused by cigarettes have already dropped 33-percent.
So what is a “fire-safe” cigarette? It’s not the entire cigarette that’s “fire-safe,” rather it’s the cigarette paper that promises to reduce the number of fires caused by smoking. The specially designed paper causes the cigarette to go out if it’s not puffed.
Every cigarette sold in New York needs to be make of that paper. However, if you were to look at the new “fire-safe” cigarettes you would have a hard time differentiating them from traditional ones. They look the same, but when they are lit and placed on a mattress or couch the results between the two are remarkably different.
In a recent study conducted by New York City fire officials the new cigarettes were put to the test. Both a “fire-safe” and a non “fire-safe” cigarette were lit. After about ten minutes, the new cigarette was just about out, while the traditional cigarette smoldered and burned a hole in the mattress. Fire officials say they believe requiring “fire-safe” cigarettes in all states would cut down on fires. But they also stress that nothing that burns is truly fire safe. But, if you can’t get someone to stop smoking in their bed or on their couch, fire officials maintain, the least you can do is to design and mandate the use a product that will help save lives and personal property.
The only problem… most tobacco companies oppose the measure. R.J. Reynolds, the second largest cigarette producer, says the fire safe paper is in short supply and it’s more expensive to produce. They say the real problem is people who smoke carelessly.
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