Attachment 12.2 Reduced fire risk (RFR) cigarettes

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12.0 Introduction

12.1 Tobacco in Australian cigarettes

12.2 Measuring cigarette smoke constituents

12.3 Labelling of 'tar', nicotine and carbon monoxide yields of Australian cigarettes

12.4 General engineering features of Australian cigarettes and their relation to compensatory smoking

12.5 Comparison of Australian and United States cigarettes

12.6 Comparison of Australian cigarettes in different yield categories

12.7 Additives in Australian cigarettes

12.8 Flavoured cigarettes

12.9 Specific carcinogens and cardiovascular toxicants in Australian cigarettes

12.10 Concluding remarks

Acknowledgments

References

Attachment 12.1 Health warnings

Attachment 12.1 References

Attachment 12.2 Reduced fire risk (RFR) cigarettes

Attachment 12.2 References

Attachment 12.3 Smokeless tobacco and harm reduction

Attachment 12.3 References

Smoking is the leading cause of residential and total fire deaths in at least eight countries, including Australia.1 Nearly one quarter of all fire deaths in Australia in 2004–05 occurred in fires started by cigarettes or matches. The total economic impact of these fires is conservatively estimated at $81m each year.2

Standard cigarettes are manufactured with added 'burn accelerants' to ensure that the cigarette will keep on burning once lit.3 Left to 'idle' between puffs, a dropped, forgotten or discarded cigarette can start a fire. Fire cause investigators and other fire industry leaders unanimously support the introduction of regulations to reduce the fire risk of cigarettes.4

Tobacco companies have the technology to manufacture reduced fire risk (RFR) cigarettes and are required to do so by law in Canada and in most states of the USA. The European Union has also announced its intention to introduce RFR regulations.5

In March 2007, Standards Australia announced the release of a new Australian 'standard for reduced fire risk cigarettes' (a tool by which to measure the self-extinguishing properties of cigarettes), which it said was now 'available to State and Federal Governments for inclusion in any future legislation requiring cigarette companies to manufacture reduced fire risk cigarettes.'6 

The Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Reduced Fire Risk Cigarettes) Regulations 2008[1] commenced on 23 September 2008.7 These regulations mandate reduced fire risk standards for:

• all cigarettes that are manufactured or imported into Australia from 23 March 2010; and
• all cigarettes, regardless of the date of manufacture or import, from 23 September 2010.

The date by which all cigarettes must comply was reduced by 6 months (it was originally 23 March 2011) by the commencement of the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Reduced Fire Risk Cigarettes) Amendment Regulations 2009 (No. 1) on 14 April 2009.[2]

For further information on RFR technology and international requirements for RFR cigarettes, see Chapter 10, Section 10.7.9 . The international tobacco industry's response to requests for RFR cigarettes is discussed in Chapter 10, Section 10.21.2.2 . Death and injury caused by tobacco caused fires is discussed in Chapter 3, Section 3.19 and their economic impact is discussed in Chapter 17.