AUSTIN – As of January 1, 2010, all cigarettes sold in Texas must be certified fire standard compliant (FSC). All FSC cigarettes will be marked near the Universal Product Code (UPC) with the letters FSC. Any manufacturer, wholesaler/distributor, or retailer who knowingly sells or offers for sale non-FSC cigarettes may be subject to a fine of up to $100 per pack.
Fire standard compliant – or “fire safe” – cigarettes are designed to self-extinguish if they are left unattended or not actively being smoked.
Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill (HB) 2935 into law in June 2007, which required all cigarettes sold in Texas be certified fire standard compliant by January 1, 2009. Enforcement of the fire-safe cigarette law will begin on January 1, 2010. The time interval between the effective date of HB 2935 and the start of enforcement efforts allowed retailers to dispose/sell any existing inventory of non-FSC cigarettes.
Texas is among 49 states where FSC legislation is either effective or has passed legislation. Wyoming filed FSC legislation in 2009, but it has not yet passed. The State Fire Marshal’s Office, which is a part of the Texas Department of Insurance, is responsible for all FSC cigarettes certifications, inspections, and enforcement in Texas.
“The State Fire Marshal’s Office is committed to reducing the loss of life and property due to fire and other related hazards,” said State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado. “Fire standard compliant cigarettes will aid in the prevention of fires and reduce the loss of life and property in Texas.”
For more information about fire-safe cigarettes, visit the agency website at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmfiresafecig.html or contact Roger Young in the State Fire Marshall’s Office at 512-322-3527 or e-mail: Roger.Young@tdi.state.tx.us.
FSC cigarettes are horrible and extremely dangerous. When I first heard about them on TV I thought they were a pretty cool idea because I’m all for fire prevention. I was wrong.
The “fire safe” cigs are much more a fire hazard. The lit end falls out often and when you re-light they often spark (flame up). I read where one lady burnt her bangs and forehead because of that and thousands have burnt carpets, furniture, and clothes and/or have gotten sick (including myself). The papers aren’t actually thicker, it’s more paper stuck together with carpet glue. A lot of people have said they almost wrecked their cars when the cherry falls on their lap while driving. My guess is some people have wrecked their cars and are unable to write about it. This is where it really affects nonsmokers because people will be crashing into them too! There is an online petition to repeal this law. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/repeal-fire-safe-cigarette-laws Read the signatures, it is really scary.
I’m thankful I was able to heal after smoking these and I pray others will too, though I know some won’t. Now I’m rolling my own (stuffing really) and smoking electronic cigarettes. A lot of people are finding alternatives or quitting. I wonder how the government plans to make up all the lost tax money.
I, for one, LIKE the new Fire-Safe cigarette legislation. The truth of the matter is that cigarettes ARE dangerous from a fire safety standpoint. The cigarette manufacturers impregnate the paper with chemicals to keep the cigarettes burning evenly, and continuously. This creates a fire safety hazard whenever that cigarette is not in the hand of the smoker (ie, dropped by mistake, tossed out a car window, or when the smoker falls asleep while smoking) A multitude of deaths and fires are attributed to this each year (see http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=141808), and these can be prevented by making a cigarette that is NOT engineered to burn quickly. On a secondary note, I would think that I and other smokers would welcome a cigarette that burns slower, and goes out when left unattended for a short period of time. Currently, the tobacco companies impregnate the paper with chemicals intended to make the cigarettes last a shorter amount of time for the smoker, thusly increasing the need for the smoker to buy more cigarettes. Slower burning cigarettes would allow smokers to more effectively regulate their own usage of the product, and not have a cigarette waste away while sitting in the ashtray, unattended.
Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for your comments Joshua.