"Smoke Tote" Cigarette Lighters Recalled by Walgreen
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
September 24, 1997
CPSC CONTACT:Mark Ross, (301) 504-7076
Release # 97-192
CPSC, Walgreen Co. Announce Recall of "Smoke Tote" Cigarette
Lighters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Walgreen Co. of Deerfield,
Ill., is recalling about 53,000 disposable cigarette
lighters sold as part of the Smoke Tote set. These lighters'
child-resistant mechanisms could fail to
reset themselves, potentially allowing young children to
ignite the lighters.
Each year, an estimated 190 deaths are caused by
children under 5 years old playing with lighters. CPSC
estimates that child-resistant mechanisms on lighters will
prevent more than 100 deaths each year.
CPSC and Walgreen are not aware of any injuries
involving these lighters. This recall is being conducted to
prevent the possibility of injuries.
The lighters are sold inside a vinyl pouch, along with
a matching cigarette case, in a blister pack. The lighters
are tinted either red, yellow, blue, white, black or green.
The cigarette cases and lighter pouches are either beige,
black, red, navy or white. The blister pack is labeled in
part, "PERFECTION Smoke Tote...FREE Child Proof Lighter &
Fashion Case."
Walgreen drug stores nationwide sold the lighters
within the Smoke Tote set from August 1996 through August
1997 for about $3.
Consumers should stop using the lighters immediately
and return them to the Walgreen store where it was purchased
for a full refund. For more information, contact
Walgreen Co. toll free at (888) 899-0538. Consumers will
hear a recording asking them to leave their name and number,
and a Walgreen representative will return their call.
CPSC discovered this defective product as part of
ongoing import surveillance in conjunction with the U.S.
Customs Service. In addition, the Customs Service prevented
the import of about 600,000 of these defective lighters into
the U.S.