Parents urged to avoid buying novelty lighters Warning against novelty lighters: a novelty lighter works like any other lighter; however, it is designed to look like a child's toy. Novelty lighters do not have child-proof triggers, therefore children who try to play with them can easily light them, obviously causing potential dangers. The Hazlet Township Bureau of Fire Prevention needs your help in a nationwide effort to make novelty lighters unavailable for purchase. There are hundreds of lighters disguised as toy animals, cell phones, key rings, balls, and other colorful items that are attractive to children. Please do not purchase novelty lighters or bring them into your home - the lighters are sold on eBay and in thousands of stores throughout the United States. If you already have novelty lighters, remove them from your home. Let's protect our children and community from the dangers created by these unsafe products. The ultimate goal of the fire service is to make the sale and distribution of novelty lighters illegal all across the United States. Ten European countries recently banned novelty lighters and we are working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to do the same. With your support, we can eliminate the fires and burn injuries that result from kids playing with novelty lighters. John Beslanovitz fire official Hazlet Bureau of Fire Prevention