The mandatory standard prescribes requirements for the performance, packaging and marking requirements of reduced fire risk cigarettes.
About reduced fire risk cigarettes
All cigarettes manufactured or imported into Australia are subject to the mandatory standard for reduced fire cigarettes. A reduced fire risk cigarette is a cigarette that slows down the rate at which a cigarette burns.
The mandatory standard excludes:
- loose tobacco
- cigars.
Mandatory standard
Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Reduced Fire Risk Cigarettes) Regulations 2008 No.195 sets out the mandatory requirements for reduced fire risk cigarettes. It references the test methodology from the voluntary Australian Standard AS 4830-2007, Determination of the extinction propensity of cigarettes.
Key requirements
These requirements aim to provide an overview of the mandatory standard. Suppliers must not rely on this information as a complete guide to compliance.
Performance
At least 75 per cent of the cigarettes that are tested in a test trial must fail to achieve full length burns.
Labelling
All retail cigarette packs as defined by the mandatory standard must have the following statement: "AUSTRALIAN FIRE RISK STANDARD COMPLIANT. USE CARE IN DISPOSAL."
This statement:
- must be clearly legible
- must not obscure any warning messages, explanatory message or graphic required by other laws
- may be printed onto an adhesive label, or directly onto the packaging.
Where adhesive labels are used, suppliers must ensure these are fastened in a way that:
- ensures the label is not easy to remove
- causes damage to the package if someone tries to remove it.
Related resources
Reduced fire risk cigarettes - Supplier guide
