Fire-safe cigarettes required in European Union

Starting from Today, all cigarettes sold in the European Union member-states are required to be self-extinguishing, i.e. comply with reduced ignition propensity (RIP) standards. The cigarette makers are obliged to wrap the cigarette tobacco in the specific “thicker” paper, so the cigarettes would extinguish on their own, once they are not puffed.

In order to diminish the number of deadly fires caused by unattended cigarettes, all cigarettes sold across the 27 states of the European Union will be fire-safe starting from November 17.

Reduced Ignition Propensity or self-extinguishing cigarettes extinguish once they are not used, therefore, decreasing the odds of causing a fire, being one of the leading causes of fire deaths and injuries in the European Union.

Scientific evidence demonstrated that the number of fatal fires might be cut by at least 30 percent with the requirement of the Reduced Ignition Propensity cigarettes, said a report published by European Commission for Consumer Affairs, citing corresponding data from Finland, which was the first European country to require fire-safe cigarettes in 2008, which led to reduction of deadly fires by 25 percent.

Everyone knows that safe cigarettes do not exist, and the best thing is stop smoking. However, if adult people decide to smoke, then the latest standards, which are coming into effect today, will oblige cigarette makers to manufacture only Reduced Ignition Propensity cigarettes, protecting thousands of smokers and their families from the hazards of fires, admitted John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health.

The bill to require self-extinguishing cigarettes was introduced by Meglena Kuneva, European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs in 2008, and took almost three years to enter into effect as the tobacco companies needed time to modify their manufacturing facilities.

The major thing about fire-safe cigarettes is the usage of the innovative non-porous paper, which acts as “speed bump”. The paper comprises small bands, which extinguish the smoldering cigarette, once the burning reaches one of these bands, without being steadily puffed. According to the researches, the reduced ignition propensity go extinguish in about 2 minutes after being left unattended, which is much faster than in case of traditional cigarettes, which will burn down until the filter tip.

Arlene McCarthy, member of European Parliament from the United Kingdom, said the self-extinguishing cigarettes are a life-saving innovation. “Sometimes it happens that people fall asleep on the sofa or in bed with a lit cigarette in their hand, which smolders and causes the fire, so fire-safe cigarettes will minimize this risk, and thus, save lives.”

The British MP also stated that cigarette smokers will not feel the difference between the traditional cigarettes and Fire-Safe Cigarettes. Nevertheless, fire-safe cigarettes will be more expensive since the porous paper cost more that usual cigarette-wrapping paper.

New York was the first state in the USA to require self-extinguishing cigarettes in 2004. In 2010, the state confirmed 33% reduction in the number of fire deaths caused by cigarettes.

Currently, fire-safe cigarettes are adopted in Canada, Australia and most US states.