Chinese authorities feel the heat after restricting lighters for fire safety concerns
- In Mianning, only one shop per residential area will be allowed to sell a “fire-lighting product” while minors are completely banned from buying the products for the next three months.
- The rules are meant to reduce the risk of starting out-of-control fires, but they are being criticised online.
Minors under 18 years of age will be completely banned from purchasing any fire-lighting products. Just one store in each village or residential community will be designated by authorities to sell the products during the three-month period. The regulation also requires people to present their ID cards upon purchase.
“In principle, an old lighter should be provided to exchange for the new one,” said the announcement.
But internet users have been quick to criticise the strict measures, believing the government was shirking its responsibility to prevent and control forest fires.
“The government needs to give better public education and professional training, and improve fire control facilities, not limit people from buying lighters. Following their logic, the use of rocks and woods should be banned too because they can also produce sparks!” said one internet user on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform.
Another one wrote, “A stupid policy, as if someone will be unable to set fire if they buy a lighter by registering their ID. And one lighter for one person? Do people need a lot of lighters to set fire?”
