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.”

more infos,

1 Mr Maxwell’s Parliamentary motion is as follows:

Short Title: RIP Cigarettes Cut Fire Deaths

S3M-04319 Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): That the Parliament acknowledges that 48.1% of fire deaths in Strathclyde and 44.8% of fire deaths across Scotland in 2007-08 were attributable to smoking materials; recognises the impact of legislation introduced in 2005 in Vermont, United States of America, that introduced reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes, also called fire-safe cigarettes, that resulted in no deaths being attributed to cigarettes in 2007 and 2008, and therefore believes that Scotland should be the first country in Europe to introduce this life-saving technology to its cigarettes.

Date of Lodging: 5 June 2009

2. More information on fire safe cigarettes can be read here:

http://www.firesafercigarettes.org.uk/1 3. Attached are responses to Mr Maxwell’s request for support from all of Scotland’s fire brigades. The response from Strathclyde is below.

-----Original Message-----
From: Breckenridge, Jo-Ann
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 3:40 PM
To: Maxwell S (Stewart), MSP
Subject: Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP) Cigarettes

SENT ON BEHALF OF DEPUTY CHIEF OFFICER EILEEN BAIRD

Mr Maxwell

Further to your letter dated 17 June 2009 and subsequent telephone call, I am writing to advise that Strathclyde Fire & Rescue service would support the introduction of Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP) cigarettes as one method of reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by fire in the home, thus making Strathclyde a safer place to live, work and visit.

A more formal response from the service will follow but I have sent this short reply to you in the meantime.

Yours Sincerely

Eileen Baird
Deputy Chief Officer