Program Overview
Fire Standard Compliant Cigarette Program: Provides industry regulation by requiring cigarette manufacturers to certify that a cigarette variety has been tested, and marked in compliance with PL Chapter 253, 22 M.R.S. §1555-E "An Act Concerning Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes." The State Fire Marshal's Office will review applications and certify cigarette varieties as meeting requirements.
Applicable Statutes
22 M.R.S. §1555-E Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes
22 M.R.S.. §1580-L Tobacco Product Manufacturers
Dates of Implementation
- An Act Concerning Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes was signed into law on June 8, 2007 to take effect on January 1, 2008.
- In December 2007 manufacturers began sending to the State Fire Marshal's Office documents attesting to compliance with Maine's Reduced Ignition Propensity Law and requesting that their cigarette brands be approved for sale in Maine.
- In the spring of 2008 the State Fire Marshal's Office began collaborating with the Office of the Attorney General to ensure that cigarettes listed by that office in accordance with 22 M.R.S. §1580-L have also been certified as compliant with the Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarette requirements.
- In July 2008 the State Fire Marshal's Office began developing a list of all cigarette brands certified as being compliant with the reduced ignition propensity requirements.
Approved Reduced Ignition Propensity Brands for Maine
To check if a specific brand name or style is fire-safe certified and on our list, please view the certification list maintained by the Attorney General. Select the following link to the Maine Attorney General's Provider/Retailer Documents page, and then select the link on the right side of the page titled "Directory of compliant tobacco product manufacturers by brand" (PDF document). The Maine Attorney General will not list a cigarette legal for sale in Maine unless that cigarette brand style has been certified as fire safe.
Obtaining Approval for Sale of Fire Safe Cigarettes in Maine
To obtain approval for the sale of cigarettes in Maine, the following information must be submitted:
- A cover letter identifying the cigarette manufacturer and the contact person for the manufacturer.
- Written certification attesting that each cigarette has been tested in accordance with, and has met the performance requirement of, ASTM E2187-04 including those standards listed under 22 M.R.S. §1555-E (2).
- The description of each cigarette listed in the certification must include the brand, style, length in millimeters, circumference in millimeters, flavor, filter or nonfilter, package description and the packaging marking approved under 22 M.R.S. §1555-E (4); the name, address, and phone number the laboratory that conducted the testing (if different than the manufacturer); and the date the testing was conducted.
- A copy of the marking approval from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
- Sample packs or cartons, or copies, clearly showing the proposed marking.
Contact
Manufacturers seeking to certify their cigarette brands shall submit all certification, testing, and marking documents to:
Michelle Mason Webber
Maine Office of State Fire Marshal
52 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
e-mail: michelle.mason-webber@maine.gov