Gladstrong Disposable Lighter Recall

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2001
Release # 01-124 		Lighter Recall Hotline: (877) 666-0664
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052

CPSC, Gladstrong Investments USA Announce Recall of Disposable Lighters
4-Year-Old Girl Died in Fire After Playing with Firm's Lighter

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Gladstrong Investments USA, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 13 million disposable lighters. The lighters' child-resistant mechanisms are frequently ineffective. Young children are able to operate the lighters, posing a fire hazard.

CPSC and Gladstrong Investments have received a report of a 4- year-old girl who died after starting a fire with a Gladstrong Investments lighter and then hid in a closet. The fire caused an estimated $72,000 in damages. In another incident, two brothers, a 4- year-old and a 6-year-old, reportedly ignited clothing and paper inside a car while playing with one of these lighters causing about $1,500 in damages. They were not injured.

The recalled lighters have their brand name, "BODA-BING," "GIL," "HAPPY," or "WAX" stamped on both sides of their metal tops. The UPC bar code on the lighters' labels is "0-80692-99930-1," "0-295114-0" or starts with "7-55998." Writing on these lighters includes "MADE IN CHINA." The lighters were sold in various colors.

Convenience, drug and discount stores nationwide sold these lighters from January 1998 through February 2001 for about $1.

Consumers should stop using these lighters immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call Gladstrong at (877) 666-0664 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

These lighters were discovered by CPSC surveillance and from reports from the Franklin, N.H. and Racine, Wis. fire departments.

movie iconConsumers can also view a video clip about this recall (transcript). This is in "streaming video" format.

Picture of Recalled Lighter