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Written by Lauren Ohnesorge
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Wednesday, 06 June 2007 04:01 |
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A state House committee approved a bill yesterday that
would require tobacco companies to make and sell cigarettes that burn out if
left unattended.
The cigarettes get their “fire-safe” properties from a special
paper that contains two bands of less porous material. The material will
smother burning tobacco unless someone is actively smoking the cigarette. The proposed
bill would bar the sale of any other type of cigarette in North Carolina. The
bill’s next stop is the House Finance Committee followed by a full-chamber
vote. Discarded smoking materials are
the leading cause of structure fires in North Carolina. Half of the state’s
fatal fires are caused by tobacco products.
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