Tobacco Documents Online

1 HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR A FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTE August 1, 1854 First American patent (Bristol #11,409) issued for "self-extinguishing" cigarette. March 31, 1932 "Washington, March 31 (AP) With the aid and encouragement of Representative Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts, the (National) Bureau of Standards is out to prove to the world the practicability of a self-extinguishing cigarette... (the National Bureau of Standards) developed a treatment which caused the cigarette to go out as soon• as thrown away... Now Dr. Lyman Briggs, acting director of the bureau has written Mrs. Rogers that all there is to do is to find a manufacturer to take up the idea. " --Boston Herald American (3/31/1932) September, 1950 "What causes a cigarette to go on burning after it is tossed away? The California Fire Marshal's laboratory recently tested 55 brands of cigarettes and found that the paper in each had been treatedd with precipitate chalk; this makes the paper more porous, thus letting in more oxygen and creating a kind of natural draft which keeps the cigarette burning to the end. Tests by the National Bureau of Standards that cigarettes would seldom set anything afire until they had lain still long enough to burn an inch.. The bureau also discovered that coating the butt end of a cigarette with sodium silicate ("wa.ter glass") totally sealed the pores of the paper; when discardedd that cigarette would nct cont:inue to burn.....the tobacco industry is not yet ready make its product less of a fire haza-rd. The faster cigarettes burn, the more are used, the bigger the sales." --The Reader's Digest (Sept., 1950; CONMOL~GATION TOBACCO ~_ TITX 0035192

March, 1974 U.S. Senator Phil Hart pushes self-extinguishing cig.a rette bill through the Senate; bill is killed in committee in the House of Representatives. May 9, 1974 "We believe that a cigarette designed to have a limited unassisted burn time can substantially reduce the hazard to the consumer arising from a smoldering cigarette in contact with upholstered furniture. Such an approach would deal with the primary cause of incidents of this type without significantly inconveniencing the smoker. In our opinion, the approach appears to be technically feasible, although considerable research will be needed" --Arthur D. Little, Inc. Cambridge, Massachusetts "Memorandum to Furniture Flammability Com= Reduction of -the Ignition Hazards of Cia; May 9, 1974 July 2, 1979 "It is clear from our work and the work of others, that a self-extinguishing cigarette would reduce the likelihood of cigarette ignition. We have tested typical furniture construction with regular and self-extinguishing cigarettes and obtained ignitions with the regular cigarettes and no ignitions with the self-extinguishing cigarettes." --U. S. Department of Commerce National Bureau of Standards Center for Fire Research Product Flammability Research James H. Winger, Head (in a letter to Mr. Andrew McGuire, July 2, 1979) CONFIDENTIAL: TOBACCO LITIGATION TITX 0035193

October 2, 1979 "Results of the testing show that the colite. treated cigarette, under the conditions of these tests, shows a'significant decrease in burn time when compared to the standard untreated cigarette. For the treated-cigarette samples tested with the mockup, all self-extinguished between 2 minutes, 30 seconds and 6 minutes. All untreated cigarettes burned to the filter ranged from 18 minutes to 28 minutes. (Three) 3 of the tests on the untreated cigarette...led to a smoldering condition.... Based on these results, the use of colite treatments to enhance the self'-extinguishing properties of cigarettes appears to hold promise, barring any unforseen environmental and health effects resulting from the presence of colite •(sodium silicate).... " --Laboratory Report Nos. 2442-79 & 2443-79 State of California, Department of Consum-_ Affairs, Bureau of Home Furnishings Gordon H. Damant, Chief October, 1979 Congressman Joe Moakley (D-Mass) introduces Cigarette Safety Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. January, 1980 Senator Alan Cranston (D-Calif) introduces Cigarette Safety Act in the U.S. Senate. April, 1980-1983 The state legislatures in Oregon, Massachusetts, California, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, and Connecticut hold hearings on state versions of the Cigarette Safety Act. March 21, 1983 First Congressional hearing on Cigarette Act (H.R. 1880, Serial No. 98-23) in the and the Environment Subcommittee of the Commerce Committee. Safety Health Energy and April, 1983 Tobacco Institute approaches Moakley/Cranston to begin negotiating compromise. Tobacco Institute's initial proposal unacceptable to both Moakley/Cranston. July, 1983 California State Senator Garamendi's bill passes California State Senate. CONFII)ENTIAL: TOBACCO LITIGA_ TITX 0035194

July 28, 1983 October 6, 1983 May 2, 1984 May 3, 19 84 May 10, 1984 August 6, 1984 September 21, 1984 October 1, 1984 October 2, 1984 October 2, 1984 October 30, 1984 January 3, 1985 October 1987 U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging holds hearings on "Home Fire Deaths: A Preventable Tragedy" (S. Hrg. 98-364) focusing on cigarette fires and the elderly. Senator John Heinz (R-Penn) and Senator Alan Cranston (D-Calif) introduce Cigarette Safety Study Act. New York State Assemblyman Grannis has hearing on New York State fire-safe cigarette bill. Press Conference with Congressman Moakley, Senator Cranston, and Senator Heinz announcing agreement with Tobacco Institute on Fire-Safe Cigarette legislation. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee holds hearing on Cigarette Safety Study Act. Compromise bill passes House of Representatives (H.R. 1880) Compromise bill passes Senate (amended). House amends Senate passed version. Senate accepts House passed version (as amended). Sent: to President. President signs bill (P.L. 98-567) Technical Study Group holds first meeting. Technical Study Group finds that it is technically feasible to produce a cigarette that is less likely to ignite furniture and mattresses. CONF'DENTIAL: '1'I'I'X 0035195 TOBACCOLITIGATION --_