MSP WELCOMES US STATES’ NEW LAW ON FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES

MSP WELCOMES US STATES’ NEW LAW ON FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES

SCOTLAND SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW US EXAMPLE

West of Scotland SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell has tabled a Parliamentary motion to congratulate the 11 US states who have implemented legislation on 1 January 2010 for fire-safe cigarettes – otherwise known as reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes.

Mr Maxwell has been campaigning on the issue and has already won unanimous support from all eight of Scotland’s Fire Brigades and the Fire Brigades Union for the introduction of legislation for fire-safe cigarettes which have the capacity to substantially cut down on deaths attributed to smoking materials.

Mr Maxwell is seeking legislation to allow Scotland to be the first country in Europe to introduce this life-saving technology for cigarettes.

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.

“American states have been leading the way on this legislation across the Atlantic with a further 11 states joining those who have just introduced this legislation.

“The state of Vermont introduced 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 hope that the examples being set in America will see early moves to see this legislation introduced as soon as possible in the UK or even Scotland.

“All of Scotland’s Fire Brigades and the FBU support this move as does Scotland’s Justice Secretary. I hope the UK government can look kindly on this request and implement such legislation or perhaps allow Scotland to do so.”