Australia - finally "fire safe" cigarettes starting Tuesday, March 23rd.

March 22, 2010 - After almost a decade of lobbying from fire authorities and anti-smoking groups, regulations forcing tobacco manufacturers and importers to produce only "fire safe" cigarettes come into effect nationwide on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. (Fire-safe cigarettes would save lives: expert")

Emergency Minster Steve Whan, New South Wales (NSW): “From next week, only cigarettes designed to self-extinguish can be produced or imported into Australia. This simple step is a major advance in fire prevention, making cigarettes less of a fire risk for all Australians.”

Every year, more than 4500 fires across Australia are caused by cigarettes and at least 77 people lost their lives in fires started by cigarettes between 2000 and 2005. "These fires are often caused by smokers falling asleep and dropping their cigarette or people carelessly discarding cigarette butts that can then start grass fires.

Reduced fire risk cigarettes are designed to self-extinguish when dropped and can help to significantly reduce the risk of house or grass fires being started accidentally.

Unlike most cigarettes, reduced fire risk cigarettes need to be actively smoked to continue burning, making them less likely to ignite upholstered furniture, bedding or undergrowth if dropped, forgotten or carelessly discarded.

The move is expected to prevent $100 million in property damage, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Directly related new briefs - Australia - fires:
Australia - wants to move up date for fire-safe cigarettes..;
Australia - Victoria fires - arson thrown cigarette butt..;
Australia - new regs fire-safe cigarettes by March 2010..;
Starting in January 2009 Australia may require all cigarettes manufactured and sold throughout Australia to be self-extinguishing..;

References: Ban on high fire risk cigarettes comes into effect, Media Release, Embargoed 18 March 2010; Smokes get safer, theage.com.au, 3/18/2010.