The Cigarette Safety Bill: A Case Study in Injury Control Advocacy

Abstract

ra 6 IGARETTE S kill people in two distinct ways: one > way is slow; the other, rapid. Slow deaths occur by cancer, heart disease and lung disease. The less frequently g t 3 discussed rapid deaths occur to about 2300 Americans each year in housefires. These lives are lost and others are physically and emotionally scarred by cigarettes and little cigars that do not have reduced heating capacity or do not burn out when left unattended. The unattended lit cigarette or little cigar frequently comes in contact with upholstered ftrniture, mattresses or bedding and creates a smoldering fire that becomes a deadly inferno. This tragic scenario repeats itself year after year in every state throughout the country, with the result that smoking is the leading cause of residential fire deaths and injuries. Aimed at ending this preventable human suffering, cigarette safety legislation has been introduced in the United States Congress and in ten state legislatures. Generally, the bills seek to have established a standard for cigarettes and little cigars which would lower their propensity to ignite housefires. Although these several bills are generally similar, their content varies in some important areas. For example, the standards themselves are differently defined, and there are variations in terms of who is authorized to promulgate the standard. The Injury Control Council of the National Association for Public Health Policy (NAPHP) undertook an analysis of the cigarette safety issue and the bills designed to address that issue. A prototype bill was prepared which was subsequently introduced in the Maryland State Legislature. What follows is the text of that bill with a section by section analysis. It is offered both for use (with modification where necessary) in other states, and as an example of the ability of a public health advocacy group to address the risk of death of thousands by a relatively simple piece of legislation.