MEP welcomes life-saving 'fire-safe' cigarettes

12.27.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Aug 2008

Local Euro-MP Liz Lynne has welcomed a European Commission announcement that all cigarettes sold in the EU will have to be 'fire-safe' by 2011.

According to the West Midlands Fire Service, over the past 20 years half of fire deaths have been linked to smoking, while some 12,000 people in the UK are killed or injured in home fires each year.

The tobacco industry will now be forced to use fire-retardant paper so that cigarettes will burn slower and go out after one minute if left untouched. Such cigarettes are already on sale in Canada, Australia and many parts of the US.

Local LibDem Euro-MP Liz Lynne, Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, had campaigned for EU action to introduce cigarette fire-safety standards, saying many lives could be saved.

Speaking today, Liz Lynne said:

"Although I would prefer people to stop smoking for their own health, I appreciate that many smokers do not wish to give up.

"Nevertheless it is tragic that the tobacco industry has known how to make self-extinguishing cigarettes for over 20 years, but chose not to introduce them voluntarily. It was clear that new regulations were the only way to change this.

"Through using existing cost-effective technology, many deaths, injuries and destruction of property through cigarette-related fires will be prevented."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Liz Lynne previously tabled a parliamentary question to the European Commission and signed a European Parliamentary Written Declaration calling for EU action on 'fire-safe' cigarettes.

New York State was the first place in the world to introduce legislation on fire-safe cigarettes in 2003, with many states following suit since. 81.5% of the US population lives in states where fire-safe cigarette legislation is in force or on the way.