Novelty lighter
A novelty lighter is a lighter that is shaped like another object. Novelty Lighters can have audio or visual effects, and may look like toys. They are typically used to light tobacco products. Controversy surrounding novelty lighters In the United States. the vast majority of fires caused by children are started with non-novelty lighters and matches (matches are the leading cause of fires started by children). According to the National Association of Fire Marshals, despite attempts to collect statistical evidence concerning the prevalence of novelty lighter fires caused by children, only anecdotal evidence of such fires could be found. Thus, of the 3,168 fires caused by children playing with matches and lighters in 2004 in the United States, no cases were attributed to novelty lighters by the National Association of Fire Marshals. In one such anecdotal case, on September 25, 2007, two toddlers from Russellville, Arkansas, died after setting fire to their apartment with a motorcycle-shaped lighter that was imported illegally. Such tragic cases are often caused by lighters that lack proper child safety mechanisms as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In the United States lighters must be child safe (children under 51 months must be unable to