| The goal of this year's Arson Awareness Week is to focus public attention on the dangers of toylike or novelty lighters in the hands of children.
Do you know what a novelty lighter is? It's one that works like any other lighter, except
that it looks like a child's toy. Toylike or novelty lighters have been responsible for injuries, deaths, and accidents across the Nation. Children are attracted to novelty lighters because they look like toys. Many of these lighters look like animals, miniature cars, mobile phones, cameras, fishing lures, stacks of coins, markers, and doll accessories. One lighter is nearly identical to the popular rubber ducky bath toy—it even quacks! There are also toylike and novelty lighters that look like tools such as tape measures, drills, hammers, and paint brushes. Ironically, there are even lighters that mimic a Dalmatian donning a fire helmet, a red fire truck, or fire extinguishers.
The Falmouth Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department needs your help in a nationwide effort
to make novelty lighters unavailable for purchase.
You can see the magnitude of the problem by visiting online businesses and looking at the
items listed under "novelty lighter." There are literally hundreds of lighters disguised as toy
animals, cell phones, key rings, balls and other colorful items that are attractive to children.
Unfortunately, online businesses are just part of a much bigger problem. Thousands of stores
throughout the United States also sell novelty lighters, and this is where we need your help.
Please do not purchase novelty lighters or bring them into your home. If you already have
novelty lighters, please remove them. Let's protect our children and our community from the
dangers created by these unsafe products.
Looking ahead, the ultimate goal of the fire service is to make the sale and distribution
of novelty lighters illegal all across the United States. Ten European countries recently banned
novelty lighters, and we are working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to do
the same. With your support, we can eliminate the fires and burn injuries that result from kids
playing with novelty lighters. |
