Disposable Lighters Recalled by ERA Intermarketing
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 1998
Release # 98-094
Company Phone Number: (888)
682-2388 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Mark Ross, (301) 504-7076
CPSC, ERA Intermarketing Co. Inc. Announce Recall of Disposable Lighters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ERA Intermarketing Co.
Inc. of City of Industry, Calif., is recalling about 840,000
Elite-2 disposable cigarette lighters. The lighters do not
meet the 1994 requirement for child-resistant mechanisms in
violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act. This act
requires amechanism on disposable and novelty lighters shown
to prevent ignition of the lighters by most children under 5
years old. Each year, CPSC estimates 190 deaths are caused
by children under 5 years old playing with lighters.
CPSC and ERA Intermarketing are not aware of any
injuries involving these cigarette lighters. This recall is
being conducted to prevent the possibility of injury.
The Elite-2 lighters are made of clear plastic tinted
in assorted colors. The metal top is labeled "ELITE," and
the lighter label bears the bar code: "16229 12001" and the
date code, "3/97."
Small retailers sold the Elite-2 cigarette lighters
nationwide from June 1997 to March 1998 for about $1.
Consumers should stop using these lighters immediately
and return them to ERA Intermarketing for a full refund,
including postage, at:
Product Recall
ERA Intermarketing Co., Inc.
200 S. 5th Avenue
City of Industry, CA 91746
For more information about this recall, consumers
should call ERA Intermarketing Co. Inc. toll-free at (888)
682-2388 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT Monday through Friday.
CPSC discovered this defective product as part of
ongoing import surveillance in conjunction with the U.S.
Customs Service.
