Bill proposed to ban sale of novelty lighters to minors

Supporters of the bill say lighters in general remain the number one cause of house fires

MADISON, Wis. (WKBT) — A new Wisconsin bill would ban the sale of novelty lighters to anyone under the age of 18.

The legislation targets lighters that look like toys, play music, or have flashing lights.

Supporters of the bill say lighters in general remain the number one cause of house fires in the US. And while most disposable lighters have child-proof safety features virtually none of the novelty lighters do.

Gundersen Health System says this legislation is a good idea because sometimes it’s even difficult for adults to tell the difference between an actual toy and a lighter.

“It’s very dangerous because most fires that are started to structures, which children start when they’re playing with fire they actually are using lighters so making lighters look like toys adds another level of danger to those lighters,” said Gundersen Trauma and Injury Prevention Coordinator Erica Kane.

More than a dozen other states in the US already have a ban on novelty lighters.

Similar efforts in Wisconsin have failed to reach the floor four times since 2009.