Statehouse sparks debate about novelty lighters bill

A bill to ban toy-like novelty lighters in Indiana is currently working its way through the Indiana House of Representatives.

The bill passed its second reading in the Statehouse yesterday after a delay as House Democrats and Republicans debated the state's "Right to Work" bill

If entered into law, House Bill 1056 would make the manufacture or import of novelty lighters for sale a crime.

According to the bill, a novelty lighter includes those with a toy-like appearance, including the physical form of an animal, animated character, vehicle, weapon, telephone or food.

Though the bill includes lighters with entertaining audio or visual effects, lighters with logos, decals or decorative artwork would remain legal.
 
The bill was authored Jan. 9 by Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, a retired firefighter. The bill is intended is to protect Indiana’s children, Frye said,

 “We don’t need them. They fall into the hands of kids, and kids just can’t distinguish the difference between a novelty lighter, which is basically a toy, Frye said.

Frye mentioned one lighter looks like a small fishing pole.

“You push that little button on the handle, similar to what your grandpa would do if he was casting his fishing rod, and fire comes out of the end,” Frye said.

With the bill, the state fire marshal would be required to formulate a list of forbidden novelty lighters. The fire marshal would also be granted authority to seize and destroy novelty lighters.

During his 26-year occupation as a firefighter with the Indianapolis Fire Department, fires involving injured children stick out in his mind the most, Frye said.

“They happen all the time,” Frye said.

In fact, Frye mentioned a fire in Indianapolis last week where an 8-year-old boy destroyed his family’s home after accidentally setting it ablaze with a lighter.
In this incident, nobody was injured.

But the problem expands beyond the city limits of Indianapolis, Frye said. So far, about 20 states have passed identical laws.

Since 1996, the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled thousands of novelty lighters because they pose dangers to public safety.

Bloomington Fire Chief Roger Kerr  said he backs Frye’s proposed legislation.

“It takes lighters out of the hands of, possibly what could be, young kids who think they are toys that leads to possibly a juvenile setting a fire unintentionally, playing with something they think is a toy but actually is not a toy,” Kerr said.