About 1,500 Americans are killed each year in cigarette fires, according to government estimates, making cigarettes the country’s leading cause of fatal fires. These fires have caused up to 7,000 serious injuries and $400 million a year in property loss. Yet research shows that small design changes in cigarettes would make them less prone to ignite furniture and bedding. Lawmakers in increasing numbers have called for legislation to set a fire-resistance standard for cigarettes. But no such laws have yet been passed.
Determined to prevent regulation of their products, the cigarette makers several years ago launched a sophisticated campaign to defuse the issue. They quietly began doling out grants and contracts to fire departments and fire safety organizations, hoping to buy the favor of those whose credibility on the subject would be unquestioned. This outreach to the firefighters is part of a wider effort by the industry to improve its image and court sympathetic groups — including arts, labor, women’s and minority organizations — whose support or at least neutrality is politically vital.
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