Jump to full article: The Age (au), 2008-03-27
Author: Chris Hammer
Intro: CONVENTIONAL cigarettes could be outlawed by this time next year and replaced by self-extinguishing cigarettes.
State and territory emergency services ministers meeting in Canberra yesterday supported moves to amend the Trade Practices Act and force tobacco companies to make the change.
It is estimated that between 60 and 70 Australians die each year in domestic fires caused by smouldering cigarettes.
Anecdotal evidence suggests further deaths and millions of dollars of property damage are caused by bushfires ignited by butts thrown from cars. . . .
Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland, who chaired yesterday's meeting, said tobacco companies were on notice to meet the early 2009 deadline -- self-extinguishing cigarettes had been introduced overseas and manufacturing techniques would be available to domestic producers.
A spokesman for British American Tobacco (BAT) said the company supported the introduction of reduced-fire-risk cigarettes but said the industry would require sufficient notice of the standard it would have to meet.
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