Fire Safe Cigarettes are Here
Starting in January, all cigarettes sold in Arkansas will have to have a FSC label, which stands for Fire Safe Cigarettes.
The cigarettes are part of the Arkansas Cigarette Fire Safety Standard Act of 2009, which requires that all cigarettes sold in the state must be fire safe. This means each cigarette contains two bands of less absorbent paper designed to cause the cigarette to go out by itself if left unattended.
” It’s an annoyance because two or three times I have to relight it, it’s a big deal, you don’t want it to go out half way through,” said Caleb Findley.
Others say, it’s actually tougher on your body than regular cigarettes. “They give me a headache, tastes nasty, makes my chest hurt, I don’t approve of them,” said Donald Greenhill.
So far stores like Wedington Liquor say they haven’t seen a drop in sales. “I don’t think for the most part people know about it,” said general manager, Brandon Elliott.
Manufacturers aren’t exactly promoting the cigarettes. “I didn’t even know if it were true or not, I didn’t even see any markings on the package,” said Findley.
The only difference between a new pack compared to an old pack is the initials, FSC, above the barcode. However, those three little letters could make a big difference in the state of Arkansas. According to the U.S. Fire Administrations most recent study, Arkansas had the sixth highest rate of fire deaths in the country.
“I guess if someone falls asleep with a cigarette in their hand it won’t burn the house down,” said Elliott.
All the states surrounding Arkansas have already or are in the process of enacting similar laws, and eventually every state in the country is expected to sell nothing but fire safe cigarettes.
Copyright © September 22, 2009, KFSM-TV
