According to a Texas state law, which became effectual January 1 onwards, all cigarettes sold in the state should be both fire-safe as well as slow burning. The officials of the state - which becomes one of the 21 US states to have fire-safe cigarette laws - said retailers and distributors should sell off their old inventory by 2010.

In fact, some distribution centers, like the ones that serve 7-Eleven stores, have already converted to fire-safe cigarettes. Still, Margaret Chabris, the stores' spokeswoman, said the stores will first sell off the regular cigarettes remaining on the inventory.

Jerry Hagins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Insurance - which supervises the state fire marshal's office - said that round the year inspections will be carried out by fire marshals, so as to ensure that distributors and wholesalers do not stock up on old cigarettes, and that all cigarettes sold are fire-safe.

The fire-safe cigarettes, manufactured using bands of less porous paper, burn at a slow pace than the regular cigarettes, and douse on their own when the smoker finishes smoking. Other than that, there is no difference in either their taste or their cost in comparison with the old cigarettes. As such, officials say that smokers will not notice any difference whatsoever in look, taste or cost of the new cigarettes.

Proponents of fire-safe cigarettes opine that the technology behind such cigarettes can help save lives by preventing fires; but critics complain that these cigarettes may even extinguish themselves even before a smoker is done smoking it!