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| Hilo, Hawaii News, Sports, & Information |
Thursday, September 2, 2010 |
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Back to Hawaii News index
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Posted: Friday, January 2nd, 2009 11:17 AM HST
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New laws in 5 states call for fire-safe cigarettes
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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) _ Laws requiring stores to only sell cigarettes that are slow-burning and fire-safe went into effect in five states on New Year's Day.
A similar law starts in Hawaii on Oct. 1.
Delaware, Iowa, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas yesterday joined 17 other states in mandating the fire-safe cigarettes.
The Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes says Hawaii is among 15 other states that have laws taking effect this year or next.
The paper on these ``fire-safe'' cigarettes is thicker in two separate spots so they will go out if not puffed when they burn to these areas. The idea is to prevent fires caused when cigarettes are left unattended.
Critics say that the fire-safe brands taste different and can extinguish a cigarette before a smoker is done smoking it.
About 800 Americans die each year in fires caused by careless smoking.
(Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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