| The fire-safe cigarette model legislation was developed to mirror regulations developed by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control after a three-year process that involved considerable input and comment from the public and affected parties, most notably the cigarette manufacturers. The regulations, building on years of research by a Congressional study group and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), have been in effect in New York State since June 28, 2004.
Why should states use the model legislation?
The first national cigarette fire safety law was proposed in the 1970s, and unfortunately, there’s no reason to believe that national cigarette fire safety legislation is imminent. Each year, between 700 and 900 Americans lose their lives in cigarette-ignited fires. The Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes is calling on tobacco companies to step up and do the right thing — replace traditional cigarettes with fire-safe cigarettes. But until that happens, strong legislation at the state level is the best way to prevent fires started by cigarettes and the resulting deaths and injuries. And to avoid a patchwork of standards, the best approach is to adopt the New York State standards, just as many other states have already done.
If you have questions about the model legislation, please contact NFPA's Lorraine Carli.
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