EU outlaws unsafe lighters

Cigarette lighters that do not have child safety features cannot be sold any longer within the European union.

This new rule became effective in all EU member states as from the beginning of this week.

All cigarette lighters for sale in Malta must now include designs that under normal circumstances do not permit their operation by children younger than 51 months. These include lighters that need an adult's strength to be operated or designs that protect the ignition mechanism of such lighters.

The European decision to ban all non child-resistant lighters - whether manufactured in the EU or imported from third countries - came into effect last Sunday.

European Consumer Policy Commissioner Meglena Kuneva welcomed the entry into force of these "important requirements, that will foster consumers' and in particular children's safety in Europe".

She said the industry has had 10 months to adapt production and for a very small cost, estimated at a few euro cents per lighter, producers can enhance consumer confidence and contribute to the reduction of significant numbers of fires, incidents and deaths.

To date, the European standard for lighter security, that has been in force since 2002, had never been respected by European producers and importers although there was compliance when it was a question of similar demands for exports to third countries, Ms Kuneva said.

Member states gave their final green light to the new directive last month setting the binding deadline of March 11 for producers' and importers' compliance.

Similar legislation has been in place since 1995 in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. According to statistics, such standards have been very effective in these countries where the number of deaths, injuries and the amount of material damage done through accidents caused by children fell considerably.

It is estimated that each year in the EU there are between 1,500 and 1,900 reported injuries and about 34 deaths caused by children playing with cigarette lighters.