Indiana cigarettes to be 'fire safe'

[Chris]

Indiana cigarettes to be 'fire safe'

Hoosier smokers may notice their cigarettes burning a bit differently next month.

That's because starting July 1, a new law will require that all cigarettes sold in Indiana be "fire safe."

"The cigarettes are made from the same blend of tobacco as regular cigarettes," said Indiana State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson. "The only difference to the consumer is they need to puff it more often or relight it."

Jess Brewer of Lafayette recently traveled to Kentucky, where the new law was implemented in April 2008. She said her first encounter with the fire-safe smokes was not good.

"Since coming back from Kentucky about a week ago, I've been coughing constantly and having chest pains because you have to inhale harder on the new cigarettes," she said. The new design forces a smoker to inhale to get the flame through two strips of paper incorporated into the cigarette. If left unattended, the cigarette will go out.

"I'm totally against the change," Brewer said. "What's the point of making safer cigarettes if they lead to negative health effects?"

The jokes, they write themselves.

[thundley4]

Marlboro has already done this everywhere, I think.  Besides going out while sitting in an ash tray, the ash drops off very easily.