Starting January, Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, South Carolina and Georgia have implemented legislation on fire-safe cigarettes.

The National Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes reported that Nevada, North Dakota, Mississippi and Ohio would implement fire-safe laws later this year, while Missouri and South Dakota would require FSC cigarettes on January 1, 2011. That makes Wyoming the only American state to lack such a law. Many cigarette makers have backed the switch to FSC cigarettes. An Altria spokesman admitted they have joined forces with state legislatures to help them implement the standards identical to the New York one. (pi)