The story explains in detail the efforts of tobacco lobbyist Peter Sparber to deflect attention from the leading cause of furniture fires that lead to thousands of deaths and millions of dollars in property damage -- careless smokers. Since the industry did not want to make "fire-safe" cigarettes (some advocates prefer the term "self-extinguishing") that go out when unattended, the tobacco industry instead through various paid and unpaid surrogates urged CPSC to force furniture makers to make non-flammable fabrics. How? Using toxic chemicals such as those in the PBDE family, of course. Unfortunately, these toxic chemicals result in myriad problems. First, they off-gas into home environments, subjecting consumers to longterm hazards that lead to developmental and other chronic problems. Second, when they do finally catch fire, and they will, they give off these toxic chemicals in acute, high-doses posing greater risk to firefighters and first responders. Toxicologist (and mountain climber) Arlene Blum has helped lead efforts to ban toxic chemicals.

Fortunately, a coalition of firefighters and consumer groups, including the PIRGs, has solved a large part of the problem by enacting a series of fire-safe cigarette laws based on New York's pioneering effort. The PIRGs and affiliated organizations including Environment California have also been at the center of state efforts to ban toxic chemicals such as the flame retardant PBDEs. Unfortunately, some states have previously enacted flammability rules that have led to overuse of toxic chemicals by the furniture industry. States are now modifying these rules as they pass newer laws eliminating toxics, as this blog from University of California-Riverside scientists explains. And, of course, lobbyists from the American Chemistry Council (formerly known as the Chemical Manufacturers of America) and its members have been jetting around state capitols, sometimes misrepresenting their affiliation in opposition to the proposed limits.

We can only hope that any new CPSC regulation does not mandate use of toxic chemicals to stop fires, and in the process, preempt the efforts of states to ban the chemicals.