I quit smoking quite a while ago, but I still maintain a collection of novelty lighters. Some of them I just could not bear to part with. The classic Zippo lighter is a great piece, for instance, but it is only good for lighting cigarettes, rendering it useless. I have one that looks like a pig. I have a Larry the Cable Guy lighter that talks. None of the lighters are practical, and they are all stored safely away.
These lighters will soon become illegal to sell because of an ordinance passed by the Louisville Metro Council's Public Safety Committee. The ordinance bans lighters that "are not readily identifiable as lighters", or those that have "entertaining audio or visual effects". The ordinance will go before the full Metro Council next week.
I am forced to admit that some of these items could be appealing to small children. But all lighters should be kept out of a child's reach. This ordinance has some people squawking about their "rights" and others lecturing on the ills of smoking. I am interested in your thoughts on this matter. Let's hear it.
Ban em!! If they dont have the saftey feature on them they need to be stopped.
ReplyDeleteThe push to ban novelty lighters is taking place across the country. I have seen stories of parents actually purchasing the lighters thinking them to be toys. Banning is a good idea. Anyway, what does a lighter need to be entertaining while lighting up? Plus a child does not need to equate smoking with the Cookie Monster.
ReplyDeleteI have never see a cookie monster lighter,and who buys a lighter for thier kids??? This is all about making people stop smoking and its silly!
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to imagine that the government has so little to do these days, that it must turn its attention to something so trivial. This ban is moronic.
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