Smoking Safety and the Necessity of an Ashtray
Smoking causes only a small proportion of all fires -- about 6%. However, it is the leading cause of deaths in fires, accounting for about 25% of all fire deaths in the United States. (1) Smoking-related fires tend to be deadlier than other fires because they typically occur in people's homes, at night, when everyone is asleep. They usually start either when a person falls asleep while smoking in bed or when a lighted cigarette is dropped on upholstered furniture, where it slowly smolders for hours before starting a fire. There are about 140,000 smoking-related fires in the U.S. each year. These fires kill about 900 people and injure more than 2,000 others. (2) Two ways to combat smoking related fires are a sturdy ashtray made of fire-resistant materials (metal, glass) and to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your home.
After a smoke, always make sure to discard of smoking materials in a non combustible container. A stainless steel, metal, crystal, or glass ashtray are all good choices. Keep your ashtray clean after every use to ensure no smoldering in your ashtray. This is easily done by emptying collected ashes into a trash container or even the toilet. Prior to emptying, be sure to water down your ashes, warm ashes dumped in waste cans can smolder for hours, and then ignite into fire. When outside, do not discard smoking materials by dropping them in the grass, pine needles, mulch or on the ground.Do not put ashtrays in a location where children or pets could knock them over. We recommend an ashtray with a felt base to maintain friction with table surface it rests on. If friends or relatives who smoke have paid you a visit, be sure to check on the floor and around chair cushions for ashes that may have been dropped accidentally and might still be smoldering.
Make sure your smoke alarm is maintained and working properly and make sure to have a smoke alarm in every level of your home. Be sure to test your smoke alarms annually and to change the batteries and the same time interval. Another smart idea is to have a fire evacuation plan and practice it with your family at least once a year.
Using these simple rules coupled with common sense will help avoid any fire danger and keep you safe and your belongings clean. And remember to always call the fire department for any fire, even if the fire has been completely extinguished.
Sources 1. U.S. Fire Administration. A Profile of Fire in the United States, 1989-1998. 2000. Available online at: www.usfa.fema.gov 2. National Fire Protection Association. Smoking Material-Related Fires. Fact sheet issued April 2002. Available online at: www.nfpa.org
