Oregon Statutes - Chapter 476 - State Fire Marshal; Protection From Fire Generally - Section 476.770 - Determination of cigarette variety ignition propensity; reduced ignition propensity standard; listing; cigarette design; rules.

(1) For each variety of cigarette sold or proposed for sale in this state, the State Fire Marshal shall determine whether that variety of cigarette has reduced ignition propensity.

(2) Any cigarette variety certified by a manufacturer under ORS 476.780 shall be determined to have reduced ignition propensity.

(3) Except as provided in this section, ignition propensity testing certified, conducted or accepted by a manufacturer or the State Fire Marshal must be performed using ASTM International specification E2187-04, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes. The ignition propensity testing must be conducted on 10 layers of filter paper. Forty replicate tests shall constitute a complete test trial for each cigarette variety tested. The fire safety performance standard described in subsection (6) of this section applies only to a completed test trial.

(4) The State Fire Marshal may adopt an ignition propensity testing method developed by ASTM International as a modification or replacement of the method designated by subsection (3) of this section if the State Fire Marshal, by rule, deems the modified or replacement method acceptable for determining cigarette fire safety. However, the State Fire Marshal may not adopt a modified or replacement method that in repeated testing results in a change in the percentage of cigarettes exhibiting full-length burns from the percentage produced on the same variety of cigarettes by use of the ASTM E2187-04 method or that otherwise affects the ability of the cigarette to meet the fire safety performance standard described in subsection (6) of this section.

(5) If the State Fire Marshal determines that ignition propensity testing cannot be performed on a cigarette using a method described in subsection (3) or (4) of this section, the manufacturer may propose an alternative testing method and an alternative fire safety performance standard for the variety. If the State Fire Marshal approves the alternative testing method and determines that the alternative fire safety performance standard is equivalent to the fire safety performance standard described in subsection (6) of this section, the manufacturer may use the alternative testing method and the alternative fire safety performance standard for the purpose of certifying the variety of cigarette under ORS 476.780. Except as provided under the approved alternative testing method and the alternative fire safety performance standard, a cigarette variety described in this subsection remains subject to ORS 476.755 to 476.790 and 476.995.

(6) For a cigarette variety to be declared to have reduced ignition propensity, no more than 25 percent of the cigarettes in a complete test trial conducted in accordance with an ignition propensity testing method described in this section shall exhibit full-length burns.

(7) The State Fire Marshal shall issue, keep current and make available to the public a list of the cigarette varieties the State Fire Marshal has determined to have reduced ignition propensity.

(8) A cigarette listed in a certification under ORS 476.780 that uses lowered permeability bands in the cigarette paper to achieve compliance with the fire safety performance standard described in subsection (6) of this section must have at least two nominally identical bands on the paper surrounding the tobacco column. If the bands are not positioned on the cigarette by design, at least one complete band must be at least 15 millimeters from the lighting end of the cigarette. If the bands are positioned on the cigarette by design, the cigarette must have at least two bands that are entirely located at least 15 millimeters from the lighting end and:

(a) If the cigarette is filtered, that are located at least 10 millimeters from the filter end of the tobacco column; or

(b) If the cigarette is nonfiltered, that are located at least 10 millimeters from the labeled end of the tobacco column. [2007 c.34 §5]

Note: See note under 476.755.

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Last modified: August 7, 2008