MSP WINS ALL ROUND SUPPORT FOR FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES

MSP WINS ALL ROUND SUPPORT FOR FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES

West of Scotland SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell has won unanimous support from all of Scotland’s Fire Brigades for the introduction of legislation for fire-safe cigarettes – otherwise known as reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes – which have the capacity to substantially cut down on deaths attributed to smoking materials.

Mr Maxwell has tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for Scotland to be the first country in Europe to introduce this life-saving technology for cigarettes. He wrote to all senior fire officers in Scotland asking if they would support the introduction of such legislation at Westminster and has received support from all eight.

Commenting Mr Maxwell said:

“Fires started by cigarettes are the biggest cause of fire-related deaths in the home. As a West of Scotland MSP who has worked for Strathclyde Fire Brigade I am well aware that 48.1% of fire deaths in Strathclyde in 2007-08 were attributable to smoking materials. This compares to 44.8 across Scotland.

“Both those figures are way too high and introducing legislation at Westminster to ensure fire safe cigarettes, or reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes, would go a long way to cutting those tragic figures.

“In the state of Vermont in America they introduced just such legislation in 2005 to ensure that all cigarettes were fire-safe. The results were dramatic with no fire deaths being attributed to cigarettes in 2007 and 2008.

“I am therefore delighted that all the Fire Brigades across Scotland have indicated support for my motion and hope that this will see early moves to see this legislation introduced as soon as possible.

"I will now be writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to seek his support in pressing the UK Government to introduce such legislation.”