Headline Washington Times: Cigarettes sold in N.Y. must be ‘fire-safe’

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Smokers who linger between drags on their cigarette may need to be a tad more careful in New York. Their smokes will self-extinguish if not puffed on regularly.

New York became the first state yesterday to require new “fire-safe” cigarettes to be sold. The law is meant to cut down on the number of smoking-related fires.

For the past several months, companies have rushed to meet the deadline to supply vendors with the new cigarettes, which are wrapped in special ultrathin banded paper that essentially inhibits burning.

Why stop with fire inhibiting paper? Woody’s coming with a better idea.

From the movie version of Finian’s Rainbow:

Woody: “Now Howard here is the first man in history to mate the mint plant with the tobacco plant. You realize what that means?”

Sharon: “No.”

Woody: “You are looking at the mentholated tobacco plant. There, smell. Smell the mint julep nicotine.”

Sharon: “Mmmm. That’s nice. It really smells lovely.”

Howard: “It’s … it’s a whole new form of tobacco life. It only has one drawback.”

Sharon: “What’s that?”

Howard: “Well, it doesn’t burn.”

Sharon: “It doesn’t burn?”

Woody: “It’s worse than asbestos. Actually it puts fires out.”

Now there’s a tobacco designed just for New York!