A new mandate received from the European Commission asks CEN to develop a European Standard(s) for the reduced ‘ignition propensity’ of cigarettes. The goal is to reduce the deaths, injuries, and damage caused by unattended cigarettes.

Brussels (8 August 2008) – In addition to the well-documented health risks associated with smoking, the fact that cigarettes are burning when in use means they can be a fire hazard. According to a study by the European Commission, carelessly unattended cigarettes cause an estimated minimum of 1.000 fatalities in the EU every year. In July CEN received Mandate M/425 from the European Commission relative to the safety requirements for cigarettes.