Rep. Randy Frye has introduced HB 1078 which would ban the retail sale of “toylike” lighters.
“toylike lighter” means a mechanical or electrical device typically used for lighting cigarettes, cigars, or pipes that is designed to resemble a cartoon character, toy, gun, watch, musical instrument, vehicle, animal, food, beverage, or similar article, or that plays musical notes, has flashing lights for entertainment, or has other entertaining features. A toylike lighter may operate on any fuel, including butane, isobutane, or liquid fuel.
If you outlaw toylike lighters, only outlaws will have toylike lighters.
I assume this is intended to reduce the number of kids playing with fire. (Or perhaps the toylike lighter is seen as a gateway to smoking?) In any event, within the last month or so it occurred to me how relatively rare lighters and firemaking devices are now than they were when I was a kid. Lots more people were smokers, so lighters were frequently laying around; and lots of business establishments had baskets full of matchbooks. I think my kids could easily get their hands on our grill lighter, but beyond that, I think they’d have trouble getting fire starting implements. When I was a kid, I had a lot more options if I wanted to make an impromptu flamethrower out of an aerosol can.
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