October 1 registered new experience for Portsmouth smokers. One year ago, Gov. John Lynch signed an agreement of introducing the fire safe cigarettes on local tobacco market and entirely eliminated tobacco cigarettes. Producers have one year to react and to introduce changes in process of the cigs producing. According to the bill, all tobacco products sold in New Hampshire must be self-extinguished that is to put out by itself if they are not puffed on for some time. This bill was accepted by 22 states.

It is expected that this bill will diminish fire accidents that result from not extinguished cigarette.

“The main reason we decided to do this is that it saves lives and property from fire. The cigarettes are self-extinguishing and go out when you don’t puff on it, so it will not set fire to combustible material,” Seabrook state Rep. Everett Weare said.

Although, it must be mentioned that new tobacco products don’t offer 100% safety of fire. As Philip Morris USA spokesman Bill Phelps says anything that burns can cause a fire if handled carelessly, so it should be handled as carefully as a regular cigarette.

Phelps said that self-extinguished cigarettes cost more for Philip Morris to produce. However it doesn’t influence the prices for cigarettes. Smokers will continue to buy fire-safe cigarettes at the same price as conventional ones.

Portsmouth Fire Department Capt. Tim Collins agrees with the law and welcomes this initiative.

“Any news is good news there. I know it’s a substantial number (of fires caused by cigarettes yearly). Anything to make them safer is a good thing,” Collins said.

Stores that sell tobacco products are allowed to expend remained stocks of conventional cigarettes. After, they ought to buy the self-extinguishing variety of tobacco cigarettes from distributors. Retailers will pay fine of $1,000 if they will continue to sell conventional cigarettes and ignore the statute.

Mostly, owners of stores agree with new introduction and suppose that it wouldn’t influence the sales.

“I would say there will be no impact once Massachusetts does it at the end of the year. The nice thing is that they’ve grandfathered the retail stores in, so we can still sell the stock we have now. Our store has been getting fire-safe cigarettes for a while now, anyways,” said Ted Semple, owner of the Anything To Go convenience store on Islington Street.