The Effect of Cigarette Circumference on Ignition Propensity

Abstract

The 1984 Cigarette Safety Act created a Technical Study Group (TSG) to determine the feasibility of developing cigarettes with a minimum propensity to ignite upholstered furniture. The TSG found that combinations of certain cigarette characteristics were important in reducing the ignition pro pensity. Through a statistically designed study, those characteristics were ranked as follows: tobacco packing density, paper permeability, and cir cumference. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of cigarette cir cumference alone on ignition propensity. Cigarettes were tested by four methods: the NBS mockup method, a controlled-fabric mockup test, a flow- through mockup method, and a liquid crystal test. Results showed that while the NBS mockup test could not discriminate among the cigarettes, the other methods could, and results call into question the TSG's conclusion that smaller circumference cigarettes reduce the likelihood of ignition.