In 2003, New York became the first state requiring cigarettes
sold within its borders to pass a fire safety standard based on
a test developed by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to reduce the risk of igniting upholstered
furniture and bedding, a major cause of residential fires. Last
year, when Wyoming enacted a law similar to New York’s, a
milestone with lifesaving consequences was achieved: all 50
states had made the Standard Test Method for Measuring the
Ignition Strength of Cigarettes (ASTM E2187) a regulatory
requirement. A new study projects that, with nationwide
adoption, deaths due to fires ignited by cigarettes or other
tobacco products will drop 30 percent below the total number of
such fatalities in 2003, the last full year before the ASTM
E2187 was first implemented in a state. The projected decrease
translates into about 200 lives saved annually. More from NIST