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Careless smoking fires taking a toll

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Contributed by: Einar Jensen on 2/25/2008

Annually, 1,000 Americans die in smoking-related home fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Fires started by burning tobacco products are the leading cause of residential fire deaths.

Already this year, several people have died in fires caused by careless smoking including an elderly man in Palm Springs, CA, and an elderly woman in Callaway, FL, both of whom died on Jan. 19.

The majority of smoking material home fires and more than two thirds of associated deaths involve fires that first ignited trash, mattresses, bedding or upholstered furniture. A 65-year-old woman in Cedar City, UT, died Jan. 31 after falling asleep while smoking in her favorite easy chair, for example.

Technology has improved to make beds and furniture less flammable, and both smoke alarms and residential sprinkler systems are available to safeguard the home environment, but technology can only do so much.

Clearly, smoking while sleepy is a significant risk. Smoking while drinking alcohol or while under the influence of depressants such as antihistamines, cough suppressants and sleeping aids also is risky.

Cigarettes don't know when the smoker falls asleep. They keep burning, dropping burning ashes and igniting house fires such as the blaze in Harrisonburg, VA, that killed a 70-year-old blind man. Investigators determined ashes had fallen into a loveseat.

Engineering has come to the rescue of irresponsible humans once again with reduced ignition propensity cigarettes.

Led by Sen. Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora) and supported by the Colorado State Fire Chiefs' Association, Fire & Life Safety Educators of Colorado and National Fire Protection Association, Colorado's legislators considered a law requiring all cigarettes sold in the state to be wrapped in paper that includes two or three thin bands of less porous paper that act as "speed bumps" to slow the burning process. If such a cigarette is left unattended, the burning tobacco self-extinguishes.

When Colorado passes this legislation, it will join more than 20 other states committed to reducing fires caused by careless smoking.

Another legal solution rests with landlords and apartment managers who can add language to leases and covenants that place liability on residents who start fires by smoking carelessly, including smoking while on medical oxygen. A man in North Wilkesboro, NC, died Jan. 3 after smoking on a couch near an oxygen tank and a man in Grand Rapids, MI, died Jan. 17 while smoking and using his high concentrated oxygen simultaneously.

As the population of the Front Range ages, firefighters in Evergreen and other communities anticipate more fires ignited by the dangerous mix of high concentrated oxygen and cigarettes. They also anticipate more burn injuries.

We can predict these fires and by improving knowledge, modifying environments and changing behaviors, we can prevent them. Not smoking has plenty of benefits, but if you do smoke, put it out -- all the way -- every time.

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Einar Jensen

Evergreen , CO

Einar Jensen has posted 162 stories and 6 comments since joining on 9/21/2005. Einar Jensen 's average story rating is 4.99.

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