Careless disposal of smoking material is the leading cause of fatal fires in the U.S. and the new law will reduce fire-related deaths, East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said.

“This is especially important in a college community because careless disposal of smoking materials is often involved in many of the fatal fires where college students might have tampered with fire protectors, alcohol abuse might be involved and residences might not have a fire sprinkler,” Pratt said.

There are between three and four fire-related deaths in Ingham County on average each year, said Marcus Cheatham, a spokesman for the Ingham County Health Department.

English and psychology sophomore Floyd East said he heard self-extinguishing cigarettes include more carcinogens.

“I hear whatever they use to make it go out makes it worse for you,” he said.

But Cheatham said studies have concluded there is no health difference with the self-extinguishing cigarettes.

The self-extinguishing cigarettes contain two bands that snuff the cigarette if it is left unattended.

Many smokers claim these bands alter the taste of the cigarette, said Bob Boettcher, owner of Smoker’s Oasis, 4248 W. Saginaw Highway, in Lansing.

Biology sophomore Stephan Diljak said the cigarettes frequently go
out, forcing him to relight his cigarette.

“They always go out while you are smoking, and the taste is different,” he said. “It’s almost like they want to make it taste bad because they want you to quit.”

All manufacturers must register their cigarette brands with the State Fire Marshal’s Office as fire safe to sell them in Michigan, State Fire Marshal Ronald R. Farr said in a statement.

This includes sending laboratory certification proving that the cigarettes self-extinguish.