Reader “homer simpson” found these lighters at a Fred’s Super Dollar Store in his home state of Mississippi. The lighters are not childproof and are displayed next to the check out counter where kids can reach them. What a great idea. “homer simpson” writes:
Every time i go there my 3 yr. old tries to grab them off the counter, they look very appealing to him. At Christmastime they even had ones that looked like snowmen and Santa, and they would light up with LEDs and play music.
…
Any help i can get is appreciated, i know other people who have tried to get the store to stop selling them with no avail. I don’t know how people are supposed to teach their kids not to play with fire when kids can’t even tell the difference between a toy and a lighter.
More photos inside.
We’re not about child-proofing the planet or anything, but these lighters do seem a little stupid. —MEGHANN MARCO
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It turns out Iowa senator Dennis Black is indeed trying to outlaw these “novelty” cigarette lighters!
“According to Black, about five children die in Iowa each year in a fire they started themselves with matches or a cigarette ligther.”
Ouch.
Link: http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=2D2CD184-…
I wonder if Senator Black is aware of 16 C.F.R. 1210.1 … ?
US PIRG (www.uspirg.org) does a survey of unsafe toys every year right around Thanksgiving (in anticipation of Christmas). They usually do it in conjunction with the state PIRG, if there is one.
Obviously, this is not meant as a toy, but boy, sure seems hazardous to kids.
Might try contacting USPIRG and at least flagging the product. Here’s the direct link to their toy safety campaign: http://www.uspirg.org/issues/toy-safety
Here’s an idea…pay attention to what your kids doing. Yes, kids get into things. No, it is not impossible to keep them from doing it. I have a child, I’ve done it. It is called being a responsible parent. Guess what? It’s not easy. If you can’t manage to keep an eye on your child, you are either lazy or incompetent.
“Toh noes…my child burned down the house cause I was too busy surfin’ teh interwebs to watch them!!!”
OMFG!!!!!! The “parent” keeps going to the same store, knowing damn well the lighters are there, and “Every time … my 3 yr. old tries to grab them off the counter.” Does the “parent” really need help dealing with this problem? The amount of functioning morons living in the world never ceases to amaze me…
@theDevilsDue:
“have you ever turned off the tv, sat down with your kids, and just hit ‘em?”
@natch: “you try keeping things out of a kid’s reach. You sound naive to me. Kids have the ability to climb pretty much anything…”
With respect, someone’s inability to police their mewling brat – err, I mean precious lil’ flower of joy – isn’t enough justification to limit the choices that adults have.
I’m really tired of whiny parents with bratty kids that want everyone else to fix their problem.
Would I want dumb lighters? No. Do I rely on library computers to research contraception alternatives? No. Am I worried that the US gov’t is trying to shut down porn across the planet to “save the children”? No. I mean yes. YES. YES!
Enough already. Make a world that’s safe for adults. Parents, raise your kids to keep their mitts off adults’ stuff until they’re older. Leave everything else – and us – alone. Jeezus.
There is an online effort by the fire service to gather incident data so the CPSC will consider banning novelty lighters. The site is
http://www.theideabank.com/psa/NoveltyLighters.html
Just FYI, my best friend’s daughter was burned by one of these lighters, shaped like a Christmas tree, while in a local Fred’s. She was in the shopping cart and belted in. Her mom was taking stuff out of the cart and putting it on the check-out counter. The 3-year-old girl said, “Look Mama it’s a Christmas tree.” She picked it up, because it was easily in her reach and pushed the lever on the side. Flashing lights came on and Christmas music started playing, while at the same time, fire came out and burned her thumb, as well as her ear, and caught her hair on fire. She thought it was a toy. It looked like a Christmas tree ornament. She wasn’t trying to play with a lighter or with fire. She didn’t know any better. It looked exactly like a toy. There was nothing dangerous looking about it. Anyway…she is fine and has healed well. However, at 3-years-old, she doesn’t ever want to go into Fred’s again. She associates it with dangerous toys, fire, and pain.
(Former employee at Freud’s)
They send those lighter out about twice a month. They are kept stocked for impulse buys from drunken hicks. Corporate is just too cheap to care.
But bother TN’s AG about it.