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A curtain-friendly cigarette
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July 12, 2000: 6:12 p.m. ET
Philip Morris says special cigarette paper reduces chances of fires starting
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Philip Morris Cos. plans to introduce cigarettes rolled with a special paper designed to reduce the chances of fire, the company said Wednesday.
New York-based Philip Morris (MO: Research, Estimates) said the new paper will be used in Merit brand cigarettes. If successful, it could be extended to other brands, the company said.
The company plans to begin shipping cigarettes made with the new paper, called PaperSelect, the week of July 17. They should be available nationally by early September, Philip Morris said.
"With PaperSelect, we believe we have achieved our goal of providing a cigarette acceptable to consumers that may be less likely to start fires if carelessly handled," said John Nelson, senior vice president of operations for Philip Morris.
The company has invested $50 million to develop the paper and has tested it in two markets.
 Philip Morris said in January that it was researching the new paper, which could make a cigarette less likely to ignite certain fabrics. The paper has rings of ultra-thin paper that are applied on top of traditional cigarette paper during the manufacturing process. These rings act as "speed bumps" to slow down the rate at which the cigarette burns as the lit end crosses over them.
Cigarettes made with the special paper may also be more likely to extinguish on their own -- for example, if left in an ashtray.
But the company cautioned that the new paper is not fire safe, and that fires would result if the cigarettes are not carefully handled.
Philip Morris had to develop new test protocols with the American Society of Testing Materials in order to test how different fabrics react to cigarette burns.
Toxicological tests on cigarettes made with the new paper revealed no "meaningful change" in the overall smoke chemistry compared with other cigarettes, according to the company.
Shares of Philip Morris (MO: Research, Estimates) closed down 11/16 at 25-1/4 on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday. 
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Philip Morris USA
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