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Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed House Bill 2365 into law on March 4, making Oregon the third state along with Tennessee and Maine to ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of novelty lighters. Oregon’s law is the strictest to date, with a detailed definition of “novelty lighters” and stringent fines with the maximum being $10,000 for a manufacturer or importer of these lighters. On March 10, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe signed Senate Bill 154 into law, which bans the sale and distribution of novelty and toylike lighters.

 

Toylike or novelty lighters have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the nation. Some local and state governments are taking action by banning their sale and limiting distribution. Since the beginning of the year, a number of states have introduced legislation that would put limits on or ban the sale of novelty lighters. State legislatures in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Vermont, and Washington are all considering bills that would prohibit the sale and distribution of novelty lighters. Recently, Virginia sent a bill to the governor which is expected to be signed into law soon.

 

In addition to pending state government legislation, many local units of government have banned novelty lighter sales. On the federal level, the “Protect Children from Dangerous Lighters Act” (S. 3375) was introduced in the United States Senate on July 31, 2008, by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Chris Dodd (D-CT). The bill bans the sale of novelty lighters.

 

The NVFC tracks efforts to ban the sale and distribution of novelty lighters throughout the country. Find information on new bills in various states on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org/page/1092/Novelty_Lighter_Legislation.htm.