BOSTON—The
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security favorably passed
the “fire-safe cigarettes” bill (HB 1914 & SB 1345) from committee
today, taking Massachusetts one step closer to being the fourth state
to enact fire safety standards for cigarettes, following New York in
2000, Vermont in May 2005, and California in October 2005.
The
law would require cigarette manufacturers to make cigarettes less
likely to cause fires. Annually, smoldering cigarettes are the leading
cause of household fire deaths in the Commonwealth and nationwide.
The
standard works by requiring cigarette manufacturers to wrap cigarette
paper in less porous bands that slow down and extinguish a cigarette’s
burn if the smoker is not actively “dragging” on it.
Similar
legislation has been filed in Massachusetts for the past five years but
has never passed the legislature. With three other states doing it,
public safety advocates feel the time is right to pass the bill in
Massachusetts.
“We
are thrilled that the Public Safety Committee has favorably passed the
bill,” said Eric Bourassa, Consumer Advocate with MASSPIRG.
“Preliminary data from New York has shown that deadly fires have
decreased. The only change has been measured in lives saved and
injuries prevented.”
According
to the Massachusetts Fire Marshal’s office, cigarettes remain the
number one cause of fatal household fires in the Commonwealth. In 2003,
cigarette fires killed 18 people, injured 59 civilians and 48
firefighters, and destroyed $12.6 million in property. Since 1990,
cigarettes have caused 19,419 fires, 902 firefighter injuries, 1,027
civilian injuries, 248 deaths, and $120,920,641 in property damages.
“This is
a common sense fire prevention solution that will save lives,” said
House sponsor of the bill, Representative Rachel Kaprielian
(Watertown). “Now that fire safe cigarettes are being sold in other
states, there should be no delay in protecting Massachusetts’ residents
by requiring the same fire prevention standard here.”
In
addition to the civilian toll of lost lives and damaged health and
property, cigarette fires also cause needless expense and injury to Bay
State firefighters. In 2003 alone, 48 firefighters were injured and
1,240 fire department responses were made because of cigarette-caused
fires.
"It
is extremely troubling that cigarettes are the leading cause of fatal
home fires," said Senate sponsor of the bill Senator Stephen Brewer
(Barre). "Many people killed or injured by cigarette fires are not just
the smokers, but also the firefighters battling the blaze, young
children too little to escape, and the elderly."
Groups supporting the passage of the bill include the
Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Massachusetts Medical Society,
the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, the Professional
Firefighters of Massachusetts, and dozens of other lawmakers and public
health organizations.
