On Thursday, 27 EU member states backed a European Commission proposal that will require tobacco companies to sell only ‘fire-safe’ cigarettes in the European Union.

Two member states allegedly voted against the plans, which Commission sources put down to a powerful cigarette lobby.
Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva said that the plans would entail a small technical change for a minimum cost, and defended accusations that the move was an example of over-regulation and that it would drive up prices. She added that there may be a transition period for manufacturers.
After the decision, commission officials will work on developing an EU-wide standard for the cigarettes. The whole process of legislation is likely to take up to three years.
Data from 14 EU member states shows that cigarettes cause around 11,000 fires annually with 520 deaths and 1,600 injuries.
Canada introduced legislation in 2005 while Australia is working on introducing similar laws. A number of US states have also introduced fire-safe cigarette legislation including New Jersey and California. In New York, fire-safe cigarettes have been in use for three years.