Lives could be lost - Philip Morris refuses to set date to convert to fire-safe cigarettes..

March 5, 2009 - Our 1000th News Brief.. Fictitious Case Report: Sometime after December 31, 2009. Fire marshals are investigating whether an errant lit cigarette may have caused Friday's fatal house fire. Rosemary Jones, 62, died following blaze at her house. Ms. Jones was an inveterate (hard-nose, long established, deep-rooted) cigarette smoker of Marlboro Lights for over 30-years. The fire marshal in charge reasoned that if Jones had been smoking Camels instead of Marlboro she would be alive today.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company the maker of Camel cigarettes, will be manufacturing all of its cigarette brands using "fire-safe" technology by the end of 2009.

Altria Group, Inc., the parent of Philip Morris USA the maker of Marlboro has refused to set a date to convert their brands to fire-safe cigarettes. If Philip Morris, with over 50% of the domestic cigarette market, would agree to start making all of its cigarettes fire-safe all other cigarette makers like Lorillard (with around 10 percent of the cigarette market) would join in.

Companion news brief: U.S.A. Fire-Safe Cigarettes for All 50 States - NOW..