Fire-safe Cigarettes Standard for EU

Source from:  worldtobacco.co.uk 13 December 2007 12/14/2007

Plans to draw-up proposals for a new cigarette standard to combat the leading cause of home fire fatalities every year, as well as targeting the cause of many forest fires, have been endorsed by EU member states. In future, tobacco companies will only be able to sell cigarettes with a safety requirement in their design. The "fire-safer" cigarette goes out quicker if left unattended, reducing the time before most cigarettes are able to ignite things like furniture or bedding material. EU consumer affairs Commissioner Kuneva said: "Clearly it is better not to smoke at all. It is bad for your health and bad for the health of the people around you. But if people choose to smoke then requiring tobacco companies to make this small technical change is another step in the right direction towards reducing some of the terrible damage that can be caused, both to the environment, and for some of the most vulnerable consumers in their own homes." Speaking at the press conference in Brussels, Ken Knight, Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser of the British Government said: " This potentially could save some 120 lives in the UK, thousands across Europe and 11,000 injuries a year from fire related injuries." In 2004, 114 deaths and 1,260 serious injuries were caused across the UK in 3,500 fires started by smoking materials, according to UK government statistics. The most common "fire-safer" technology, used by cigarette manufacturers, is to wrap cigarettes with 2 or 3 thin bands of thickened paper that act to slow down a burning cigarette. If a cigarette is left unattended, the burning tobacco will soon hit one of these bands of paper and self-extinguish. The Commission will now bring forward a proposal for a decision to mandate CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) to prepare an EU wide standard in spring 2008. The process of setting a standard can take 2-3 years. Enditem