NEW YORK STATE 'Fire-safe' cigarette law takes effect

A Philip Morris spokesman said a uniform national law is needed.
NEWSDAY
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A long-awaited law requiring cigarettes sold in New York to be manufactured with paper that extinguishes itself takes effect today after years of delay.
Designed to prevent accidental fires, the law is the first of its kind in the United States and was supposed to begin last year.
"This is absolutely groundbreaking," said Russ Haven, legislative council for the New York Public Interest Research Group. "This will have a clear benefit in saving lives and preventing injuries. New York is way out in front on this."
The "fire-safe" cigarette law was signed by Gov. George Pataki in 2000 after an earlier veto, but became mired in bureaucratic hang-ups about promulgating the regulations and concerns by the tobacco industry that the technology was not ready.
The state Office of Fire Prevention and Control helped develop the final standards, which require manufacturers to mark cigarette packages with a "fire-safe" symbol.
Beginning today, retailers and wholesalers must sell the new products, though they can sell out existing stock. The office may conduct spot checks to ensure compliance with the law, said Peter Constantakes, spokesman for the Department of State. Depending on the number of cigarettes sold, he said, store owners could be fined up to $1,000 for breaking the law.
Favors national law
Brendan McCormick, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, said the company began shipping the new cigarettes June 14. "Our focus now is on compliance," he said, adding that "we continue to believe a uniform national law is the best way to deal with this issue."
An average of 60 people die annually in New York from cigarette fires, according to Department of State statistics.
"While I'm not happy it took this long, I am pleased the lives of some New Yorkers will be saved by these new regulations," said Republican Sen. Frank Padavan, one of the bill's sponsors.
Advocates are now pushing for a national cigarette fire-safety standard. Eleven other states are considering similar legislation.