Health
Fire prevention, cigarettes in Mass.
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2005
The Massachusetts Medical Society is urging passage of a bill that would require that all cigarettes sold in the state be self-extinguishing.
"Physicians see the tragic results of preventable fires, including loss of life and the sometimes permanent scarring of burn victims," said Corinne Broderick, executive vice president of the medical society. "Most of these tragedies could have been prevented if cigarettes were self-extinguishing."
Identical bills have been introduced in the Massachusetts House and Senate to require the Dept. of Public Health, in consultation with the State Fire Marshall, to develop fire safety standards for cigarettes sold in the state. At present, no standards exist either on the federal or state level.
More than 800 Americans die and 2,200 are injured in fires from smoking each year, according to the National Fire Protection Assn., based in Quincy, Mass.
The smoking situation could get worse in Massachusetts, as the budget for tobacco control efforts was slashed from $48 million in fiscal year 2001 to $3.75 million in fiscal year 2005, Broderick said. The cut pushed the state from first place in the country to 40th in its efforts to protect children from the dangers of smoking, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/hlbf0523.htm.
