Australia

Cigarette-caused fires kill at least 14 people a year in Australia and cost around $80m in damage.  See Chapman S and Balmain A, "Time to legislate for fire-safe cigarettes in Australia" in MJA 2004; 181(6):292-293 or  mja online   This report was backed by Australia country and metropolitan fire commissioners and their brigades   

There's evidence that many fires start from lit cigarettes thrown from car windows. See Chapman, Balmain in  mja online. Cigarettes can also cause fires in cars, homes and workplaces - sometimes with fatal results.

Manufacturers put chemicals in cigarette paper to make them smoulder longer. Cigarettes can easily be made more self-extinguishing by removing or reducing these chemicals. Tobacco companies have known for years that this is scientifically feasible but have covered it up.   See Gunja M  et al, “The case for fire safe cigarettes made through industry documents” in Tobacco Control 2002;11: 346- 53       

The tobacco industry lobbied against a sensible standard for reduced fire risk cigarettes - raising bogus health concerns.   See Tobacco Control article  on this

After a strong campaign of support by ASH and other health groups, health and environment professionals and fire control officers - see  ASH media release 16/11/06 and attached Open Letter  - Standards Australia developed a draft standard for the testing of Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP) or RFR (Reduced Fire Risk) cigarettes.

The standard requires that 70% of each variety of cigarette must self-extinguish before burning their full length. 

Finally in September 2008 the Australian Government prescribed Regulations mandating the standard. These cover performance, testing, and packaging and marking requirements for cigarettes manufactured or imported into Australia from March 2010. The Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Reduced Fire Risk Cigarettes) Regulations 2008 came into operation on September 23, 2008, and have been registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.  See the  regulations   The new regulations were jointly announced by (see their 22/9/08 media releases) the Attorney General  and the  Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs

The 18 month deadline given to comply was disappointing. There had been many examples of the tobacco industry being able to change packaging in far shorter time frames, to suit their own marketing purposes.

In February 2009, the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria led to around 170 deaths and the virtual obliteration of whole townships. And there would be another entire summer to be weathered before the new regulations take effect. ASH and a coalition of 40 organisations called for the Reduced Fire Risk standard to be fast-tracked - to come into effect from September 2009, before the next potentially disastrous fire season.   See  ASH and 40 groups media release 20/2/09  

The government did not agree to move the deadline for new product forwards. Instead they reduced the period during which suppliers of non-complying cigarettes can dispose of their stock from 12 months to 6 months so that after 23 September 2010, all cigarettes sold in Australia will need to comply with the mandatory standard, irrespective of their date of manufacture or importation.   See the new  regulations  and  explanatory statement

Overseas

Reduced fire risk cigarette standards are law in Canada and at least than 22 US states - with laws pending in a further 15 states. See the situation of legislation in North America at  www.firesafecigarettes.org

That didn't stop British American Tobacco, one of the Big Two tobacco companies in Australia, telling the NSW Parliament's tobacco inquiry that such standards “don’t work in the real world.”   See BAT Australia submission to NSW Tobacco Inquiry  -  p.17 

Tips for taking tobacco action

You can also help us by supporting us financially - or with your time and effort…..

Back to  ASH Action: Smokefree places

Page last updated on 25/5/09