Fire Safety Tips

Smoking

• If you smoke, think about quitting.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Put out all cigarettes, cigars, or pipes before you leave the room.
• Use deep ashtrays. Don’t put ashtrays on the arms of sofas or chairs.
• Soak ashes in water before dumping them in the trash.
• If you feel sleepy while reading or watching TV, put your cigarette out.
• Close the matchbook before striking a match. Set cigarette lighters to low.
• Keep matches and lighters locked up, away from children. Teach children to tell you if they find a lighter or matches.
• Choose fire-safe cigarettes. They are made to go out if left unattended and are less likely to start a fire.
• If smokers have visited, check floors and seat cushions for butts and ashes that may have been dropped.
• For help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Smoking Fire Facts

• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable home fire deaths.
• In 2003, an estimated 25,600 structure fires in the United States were caused by smoking materials. These fires caused 760 deaths and 1,520 injuries.
• About 1 out of 4 fire deaths in 2003 was caused by smoking materials.
• The most common things first ignited in deadly smoking-related home fire deaths were mattresses and bedding, upholstered furniture, and floor covering.
• More fatal smoking fires start in living rooms, family rooms, and dens than in bedrooms.

Fire-Safe Cigarettes

Fire-safe cigarettes reduce the risk of fires caused by cigarettes.

• Fire-safe cigarettes are less likely to start a fire if dropped or left unattended.
• Fire-safe cigarettes have thin bands of less-porous paper that act as “speed bumps” to slow down burning.
• If a fire-safe cigarette is left unattended, the burning tobacco will go out by itself when it reaches one of these bands.
• The fire-safe technology cuts off the burning time before most cigarettes can set fire to furniture, carpet, and bedding.
• By law in California, New York, Oregon, and Vermont, all cigarettes sold in those states must be fire-safe. Other states have enacted similar laws that will soon go into effect; still others are working to pass such laws.

To learn more about fire-safe cigarettes, go to the http://www.firesafecigarettes.org/