Fire-Safer Cigarette Legislation to be Introduced in Oregon Legislature
January, 2007
The Oregon Fire-Safety Coalition has proposed legislation to be introduced in the 2007 session requiring the sale of "fire-safer" cigarettes. According to the Coalition, from 2001 through 2005, in Oregon alone, cigarettes caused 6,224 fires resulting in 29 deaths, 103 injuries and $22.3 million in property losses. This figure does not include monies spent in fire suppression costs, medical care, or related business interruption losses.
Fire-safer cigarettes are manufactured with specially designed paper that self-extinguishes, which restricts burning. States adopting fire-safer cigarette legislation include California, New York and Massachusetts.