Fire! Fire!! Everywhere....

With fire incidents keeping firefighters busy all over the country and in our county as well, I would think everyone would support legislation designed to ensure that cigarettes sold within our communities are fire-safe.

Fire-safe cigarettes are self-extinguishing, they are designed to go out if dropped or kept aside. Fire-safe cigarette law has been passed or is being deliberated upon by lawmakers in about 32 states nationwide. It is happening at the state level, because there is very little support at the Federal level. Some people including tobacco industry officials are vehemently opposed to this legislation, despite the fact that it is supported by the National Association of State Fire Marshalls and studies have shown that fire-safe cigarettes are less likely to ignite household items.

According to the Coalition of Fire Safe Cigarettes, "Cigarettes are the leading cause of home fire fatalities in the United States, killing 700 to 900 people - smokers and nonsmokers alike - per year". What do you think? Should Virginia follow suit? What do the candidates campaigning to represent us in Richmond think about this? Which is more important - the cost to the tobacco industry or lives that may be saved with the enactment of this law?