US Smokers Question Safety of 'Fire-Safe' Cigarettes

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 12/09/2008

A Pennsylvania smoker has organized a petition with the aim of overturning the state's regulation requiring cigarettes to be of lowered ignition propensity. According to a report by Nancy Eshelman for the Patriot-News, David Jaromnak, of Reading, founded Citizens Against Fire Safe Cigarettes and drafted the petition because be found the 'fire-safe' cigarettes kept going out and believed they tasted stale, gave him a headache and made him feel nauseous. Eshelman reports that blogs and message boards 'spill over' with complaints from smokers such as Jaromnak, who claim to be suffering from 'burning or itching throats, nausea, headache and chest pains'. 'Others report a nasty aftertaste,' she says. 'A couple even claim the cigarettes caused hives. 'Some describe the cigarettes as dangerous in their own right,' she added, quoting one smoker writing on an Internet message board as saying: "Lit embers fly off these FSC cigarettes like little fireballs when trying to re-light them and fall onto furniture and clothing". Enditem