November 1, 2006

This past February I wrote to you urging you to help prevent needless deaths, injury and property destruction caused by cigarette-related fires by pledging that you will produce and sell only cigarettes with a reduced propensity to burn.

Since that time, the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes has worked with the fire service, public health advocates and political leaders across the country to seek the adoption of legislation in the states mandating that any cigarettes sold meet the New York standard. Six states, New York, California, Vermont, Illinois, New Hampshire and Massachusetts now have fire-safe cigarette laws in place. 

The Coalition’s goal for next year is to see that fire-safe cigarette legislation is filed in the remaining 44 states. It is inevitable that mandates for fire-safe cigarettes will be in all 50 states before long; but every death caused by smoking that takes place between now and then could be prevented if the companies that manufacture cigarettes would act responsibly and switch all of their manufacturing to meet the New York standard now.

Each day that it takes to switch to this life-saving technology is another day of increased risk not only to smokers, their families and their neighbors but also to the firefighters who respond to fires that you could have prevented.

I call on you once again to provide the same protection to all of the public that you are required to provide in the six states that have already acted; and announce now that you will produce only fire-safe cigarettes. Until then, every child, adult and firefighter who loses their life to a cigarette-related fire will be as a result of your inaction.