Smoking 'to blame' for greatest number of home fire deaths

Smoking causes the greatest number of accidental fire deaths in the home, the Government said tonight.

Work on setting a European standard for fire-safe cigarettes would take about two years to complete, said junior communities and local government minister Baroness Andrews.

She was speaking during a Lords debate on the co-ordination of fire safety and emergency services across the EU.

"The number of deaths caused by smoking is a very acute example of personal responsibility. In 2006, there were 3,168 accidental dwelling fires in the UK started by smoking. It is an extraordinary figure...96 people were killed and 1,146 injured," she said.

"The Government has been instrumental in encouraging the European Commission to look into the case for creating a European standard for fire-safer cigarettes, designed to self-extinguish if left unattended, rather than smoulder down and set things alight.

"We have watched with interest developments of this kind in other countries, particularly in the USA and Canada. In October 2005 Canada became the first country to implement a cigarette fire safety standard.

"Since then, assessments suggest that on the basis of their methodology, we would have had 2,116 fewer fires, so these fire-safe cigarettes work.

"The EU has voted overwhelmingly to create such a standard. By establishing a European standard for fire-safe cigarettes, manufacturers will have to produce cigarettes which meet the EU standard compelled by law.

"We continue to be at the forefront of pushing this forward and expect our work on developing this standard to commence later this year. It will probably take about two years to complete," Lady Andrews said.

Law mandates new cigarettes

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Firefighters said a new measure could save the lives of smokers and people around them.

A new law signed by Gov. Sarah Palin today means that only fire-safe cigarettes can be sold in Alaska starting next year.

The Anchorage Fire Department is very happy about the development. Officials said it means house fires may decrease by up to 35 percent.

According to AFD, an unattended cigarette starts a fire once a week.

AFD Chief Craig Goodrich said he supports the law.

"There is no such thing as a safe cigarette, but if you're going to smoke this is as safe as you can get. So, we're thrilled to death the law has been enacted," Goodrich said.

Palin's approval of Senate Bill 84 means this time next year stores can only sell fire-safe cigarettes. The cigarettes are designed so if you're not actively smoking them, they go out. The paper burns like a cigar.

"Usually what happens is people forget them. They think they put them out, they don't snub them out they just throw them into an old potted plant," Goodrich said.

AFD said cigarettes are the leading cause of home fires in the United States, with up to 900 people dying a year.

Mark Masley with the Tobacco Cache of Alaska said the new law comes with draw backs for smokers.

"Really, the objections people are raising to it is, is there sufficient product? Are they going to make enough of those cigarettes to deliver to the marketplace and if so at what cost? At what price? Obviously if you deliver a higher cost cigarette they're going to squawk about that," Masley said.

Masley did say there are perks to the cigarettes.

Fire-safe cigarettes are safer and since they don't keep burning, smokers might end up saving money instead of watching their cash go up in smoke.

"It's nice for the cigarette companies to sell more cigarettes. If you have one that burns to the filter, then they're going to sell more product," Masley said.

Alaska isn't the first state to have fire safe cigarettes; we're now one of 13 other states.

Officials said cigarettes are blamed in almost one out of every four fire deaths in Alaska during the past decade.