KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |Fire Safe Cigarettes: Are They Better?

Fire Safe Cigarettes: Are They Better?

By Najahe Hall - email

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - It has been nearly one year since 53-year old Patty Easom of Shreveport was killed in a ferocious fire, born from a cigarette she had left on her sofa. While the Easoms continue to mourn her loss, according to a new report, cigarette-ignited fires like the one that killed Patty are all too common.

The Coalition for Safe Cigarettes (CFS), recently characterized cigarette-ignited fires as a leading cause of home fire deaths in the United States and they conclude that between 700 to 900 people per year - smokers and non-smokers alike, are the victims of a preventable death.

Starting January 1st, 2010 all tobacco dealers will be required by law to sell a new fire-safe cigarette, which many fire-safety proponents say is a measure long over due. Shreveport's Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention, Randy Stephens, agreed and added, "... that any reduction in these cigarette-ignited fires would help save lives and benefit our community." Experts say the new fire-safe cigarettes will burn slower when they are left unattended through a technique that wraps the cigarettes with multiple bands of paper. These multiple bands of paper act as "speed bumps," and purportedly cause the cigarette to self-extinguish.

We investigated these new fire-safe cigarettes to see if they would perform as promised and help reduce the number of cigarette-ignited fires. Along with the help of the Shreveport Fire Department, we recreated a similar scenario to the tragic fire that claimed the life of Patty Easom. On the grounds of the Shreveport Fire Department, a sofa was placed inside a specially designed room called a "Burn Building."

First, the fire-safe cigarette was lit and placed it on the sofa. Then a regular cigarette was lit and placed it on the opposite end of the sofa.

Nine minutes later, the fire-safe cigarette had practically self-extinguished, while the regular cigarette still burned vigorously and had welded a hole into the couch.

The test was done a second time, but this time the fire-safe cigarette did not work. Almost 14 minutes had passed and the fire-safe cigarette was still burning, while the regular cigarette self-extinguished.

The team recreated the test for a third and final attempt and shortly after, the fire-safe cigarette had succeeded again and self-extinguished.

The results of the investigation revealed that the fire-safe cigarettes did not work every time. Shreveport's Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention, Randy Stephens, clarified the outcome of the test. "All cigarettes have the potential to start a fire but this is a fire (safer) cigarette."

According to Stephens, if the fire-safe cigarette does its job two out of three times, it is still an invaluable tool for saving lives. One that could have made a difference for Patty Easom and hundreds like her.

Information on Fire-Safe Cigarettes:
What is a Fire-Safe Cigarette
Facts about Fire-Safe Cigarettes
Myths about Fire-Safe Cigarettes
Fire-Safe Cigarette legislation state-by-state
Website against Fire-Safe Cigarettes
Petition to repeal Fire-Safe Cigarettes
Article on smokers upset over Fire-Safe Cigarettes