Cigarette-attributable fires caused 10,130 deaths in the United States from 1990 to 1999. Recently-enacted laws in New York State (effective 28 June 2004) and Canada (effective 1 October 2005) regulate the ignition propensity of cigarettes, requiring that the majority of tested cigarettes self-extinguish when left unattended. The goal of the proposed study is to expand the science base on the regulation of cigarette fire risks through a program of transdisciplinary research that would rigorously evaluate the policy and its potential intended and unintended consequences. We propose five interrelated studies to investigate the effects of low ignition propensity (LIP) legislation on fire incidence, cigarette design, smoker behaviors, and toxin exposures.
Aim 1 will examine the incidence of fires in NY, Massachusetts (MA), and Ontario (ON) before and after the implementations of LIP laws in NY and ON, allowing for both pre-post comparisons within sites, and contemporaneous comparisons between sites.
Aim 2 will survey 1,800 smokers across the three sites above to determine their perceptions of their cigarettes, smoking behaviors, fire precautionary practices, experiences with cigarette-related fires, and beliefs about LIP laws.
Aim 3 will examine the smoking topography and toxin exposures of 60 smokers each in NY, MA, and ON to determine if LIP cigarettes alter smoking behavior or exposure to smoke toxins (CO, NNAL, PAHs).
Aim 4 will examine changes in cigarette design (blend, tobacco weight, circumference, ventilation, paper citrate, paper porosity, rod moisture) due to the LIP laws, and whether these changes significantly affect ignition propensity or thermal performance.
Aim 5 will examine tobacco industry documents and patents on LIP cigarette designs, with the goal of developing a LIP cigarette documents and patents collection and examine trends in technology. Taken together, these studies comprise a comprehensive evaluation of the potential impacts of this harm-reduction policy, which will inform policymakers in other jurisdictions considering similar regulations. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA117108-02
Application #
7289190
Study Section
Community-Level Health Promotion Study Section (CLHP)
Program Officer
Parascandola, Mark
Project Start
2006-09-21
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2007-08-01
Budget End
2008-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$403,267
Indirect Cost
Name
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp
Department
Type
DUNS #
824771034
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14263
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June, Kristie M; Norton, Kaila J; Rees, Vaughan W et al. (2012) Influence of measurement setting and home smoking policy on smoking topography. Addict Behav 37:42-6
Seidenberg, Andrew B; Rees, Vaughan W; Alpert, Hillel R et al. (2011) Ignition strength of 25 international cigarette brands. Tob Control 20:77-80
O'Connor, Richard J; Fix, Brian V; Hammond, David et al. (2010) The impact of reduced ignition propensity cigarette regulation on smoking behaviour in a cohort of Ontario smokers. Inj Prev 16:420-2
O'Connor, Richard J; Rees, Vaughan W; Norton, Kaila J et al. (2010) Does switching to reduced ignition propensity cigarettes alter smoking behavior or exposure to tobacco smoke constituents? Nicotine Tob Res 12:1011-8
Alpert, Hillel R; O'Connor, Richard J; Spalletta, Ron et al. (2010) Recent Advances in Cigarette Ignition Propensity Research and Development. Fire Technol 46:275-289
O'Connor, R J; Bauer, J E; Giovino, G A et al. (2007) Prevalence of behaviors related to cigarette-caused fires: a survey of Ontario smokers. Inj Prev 13:237-42