Tennessee becomes the latest state to require Fire-Safe cigarettes
Published on July 17, 2009 5:04 AM
Last week Tennessee General Assembly approved a bill demanding that only fire-safe cigarettes should be distributed by local cigarette retailers.
The Lower Chamber of Tennessee state legislature approved the "Fire Safety Standard and Firefighter Protection Act" back in April, while The Upper Chamber adopted it on July, 9. The bill is currently handled to Gov. Phil Bredesen office for legal signing.
During the Senate session, Speaker Rosalind Kurita said that careless handling of cigarettes and smoking materials have been the primary cause of fatal residential fires for many years in a row both across the country and the State. She added that the time for the government to change that notorious statistics has come, because it has been in their competence to prevent those fires. Senate Speaker also said that the major advantage of fire-safe cigarettes in comparison with their non-fire-safe counterparts has been the ability to burn down by themselves if left unattended that would prevent cigarettes from lighting furniture, carpets, bedding or other things.
According to their creators, Fire-safe cigarettes provide a reduced inclination to keep smoldering while being unattended. Such cigarettes are made from the same tobacco as the NFS cigarettes but a wrapped with several layers of specialized porous paper, which includes "speed bumps," designed to put out the cigarette when it is not puffed. Therefore, if smoker stops puffing on the cigarette it goes down when reaching the speed bumps.
According to the legislation, only fire-safe cigarettes would be allowed for sale across Tennessee.
Producers of FSC will have to provide Tennessee Fire Department with the records regarding the tests on the efficacy of such cigarettes when it comes to self-extinguishing.
Tennessee Fire and Emergency Management Agency reported that during four previous years fires started by cigarettes and other tobacco products led to 36 deaths and 53 injuries. In addition, a total of 800 home blazes related to cigarettes resulted in more than $13 million in property damages.
Speaker Rosalind Kurita stated that the upcoming law would save many lives and thus, it should have been approved.
The bill was initially introduced to the Senate two years; however, it took almost two years to pass it.
The Fire Safety Standard and Firefighter Protection Act" had a strong support from all local organizations related to Fire Management, including State Fire Department, Association of Fire Marshals, and the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes.
New York was the first American state to require fire-safe cigarettes; it was followed by many states, among which are Vermont, Indiana, California, Massachusetts, and others. Several states are also in the process of approving such bill.
