Citation

Smith JL, Bullen C, Laugesen M, Glover MP. Tob. Control 2009; 18(1): 29-33.

Affiliation

Counties Manukau District Health Board, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/tc.2008.026450

PMID

18827036

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To identify the proportion of adult cigarette smokers who have experienced cigarette-caused fires and burns and to describe smoker characteristics associated with increased risk of cigarette-caused fires and burns. METHOD: Data on cigarette-caused fires and burns were collected in the baseline questionnaire of a randomised trial of a smoking cessation intervention conducted in New Zealand between March 2006 and May 2007. Participants were adult callers to a national smoking cessation counselling service. Lifetime prevalence estimates of cigarette-caused fires and burns were obtained and associations between smoker characteristics and risk of fires and burns examined using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 1,097 participants in the trial at baseline, 75 (6.8%) reported past experience of one or more fires caused by cigarettes (96 fires reported in total) and 658 (60.0%) described at least one cigarette-caused burn. Fifty-seven participants (5.2%) reported burns which required medical attention. Male sex and Maori ethnicity were associated with increased risk of cigarette-caused fires. Male sex, younger age, younger age of smoking initiation, being unmarried, having a partner who smoked, having a higher education level and an annual income of $20,000 or more were associated with increased risk of cigarette burn injuries. Implications: Our results indicate that cigarette-caused fires and burns are common amongst New Zealand smokers, are a source of inequality and therefore deserve greater attention from health advocates and policy-makers.

Language: en