Safety over flavor

If you have recently noticed a change in taste while smoking name brand cigarettes lately, you are not going crazy. Turn the carton over to the bar code to see if there is a label stating "FSC".

Several leading tobacco companies across the nation have already adhered to the FDA's new fire safety regulation, which will soon be effective in every state.

Fire safe cigarettes (FSC), a well-intentioned idea gone horribly wrong, are loaded with harmful chemicals and new ingredients to ensure that the cigarettes will go out if not used for 30 or more seconds.

Studies have already shown that while these new cigarettes are better for keeping the environment safe and home insurance rates down, they are even worse than regular cigarettes for bodily health.

The fire safe cigarettes were created to reduce the number of home fire fatalities across the country, which may be a success. However, the overall quality of the products, and the possible side effects have clearly not been taken into account.

A few of the shocking ingredients in these FSC materials are also found in wall insulation, paints and make up: things that should not be ingested.

Theses materials are laced into the cigarettes in intervals called "speed bumps", which allow the cigarette to go out when not used after about 30 seconds.

These fire safety speed bumps refer to the new, thicker paper wrapped around the outside of each cigarette. When the product burns down to one of the thicker bands of paper or "speed bumps", it will automatically go out.

With these new cigarettes, several reports of customer dissatisfaction continue to arise. Petitions to end the FSC law carry on as smokers take their stand.

Negative side effects such as headaches and nausea span the Internet on message boards and forums against the new cigarettes. Complaints of a difference in taste have also been widespread.

So what can be done to refrain from ingesting such harmful chemicals? The obvious answer would be to quit smoking. But some people have turned to alternatives such as the electronic cigarette, nicotine gum and the "Roll Your Own Revolution".

The "Roll Your Own Revolution", is a web based forum dedicated to revealing the horrors of the FSC tobacco in an effort to stop people from using the product. There are also tips for the best types of tobacco and rolling papers, and techniques to try to start making your own cigarettes.

Bottom line when reaching across the counter for a new carton of cigarettes? Make sure there is not "FSC" on the label. It will save you all the trouble.