STEWART MAXWELL WELCOMES FINNISH PLANS TO INTRODUCE RIP CIGARETTES

STEWART MAXWELL WELCOMES FINNISH PLANS TO INTRODUCE RIP CIGARETTES

FINNS LEGISLATE AHEAD OF EU IN BID TO CUT FIRE DEATHS

West of Scotland MSP Stewart Maxwell has welcomed plans by the government of Finland to introduce Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP) cigarettes ahead of other European countries in a bid to cut the number of smoking-related fires.

An RIP cigarette has a reduced tendency to burn when left unattended and the most common fire-safe technology used by cigarette manufacturers is to wrap cigarettes with two or three thin bands of less-porous paper that act as ‘speed bumps’ to slow down a burning cigarette.

In Scotland, 41% of fire deaths are caused by an unattended cigarette and long-time RIP cigarette campaigner Stewart Maxwell believes that Scotland should follow the lead of the US, Canada and now Finland by immediately introducing the cigarette.

The SNP MSP said:

“The European Union has realised that it is now time to act on cutting the number of fire deaths. Along with Fergus Ewing, the Minister for Community Safety, I have pressed the UK Government to work with the EU in speeding up the process of finding an agreed European standard of RIP cigarette.

“Finland however has decided that it cannot wait and that it is morally obliged to immediately act in cutting the number of deaths through the introduction of ‘fire-safer’ cigarettes.

“From the 1^st April 2010, Finland will introduce potentially life-saving technology to its cigarettes; meanwhile the UK Government is waiting on the European Commission to determine when the number of fire deaths can be reduced in this country. I have been campaigning on this issue for a number of years and the evidence is clear, these cigarettes prevent deaths and injuries and it is high time that the UK stopped prevaricating and follow the lead of Finland.”

Commenting on behalf of the health and fire safety campaigners of the RIP Coalition, Martin Dockrell said:

"There really is no time to lose. Every year the Europe-wide legislation is delayed hundreds more Europeans die and thousands are injured in these completely avoidable household fires. It is the poor, the elderly and the infirm who are most at risk. All over North America these new style cigarettes are now sold as standard and Finland has shown that they can be introduced in Europe very quickly. If the tobacco industry cared at all about their customers at all they would stop the delay and act now."

Stewart Maxwell has also sought support from his parliamentary colleagues in congratulating the actions of the Finnish government by tabling a parliamentary motion.