And if Mommy or Daddy does it, there’s a good chance that your kids are not only getting the message from school, the media, and disapproving family members that your behavior is a major “no-no,” but that they also are to stay away from your cigarettes and lighters.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if you’ve got one of those popular novelty lighters in your purse or pocket, the issue sailed right past “easy” and became downright dangerous for your kids.

And what about parents who don’t smoke who might unknowingly buy one of these lighters for their child, thinking it’s a toy, asks Karla Ahrns-Klas, RN, Injury Prevention Education Specialist at the University of Michigan. Unintended misuse ranks high on the list of reasons why children need to be protected from items like these, she said in a recent phone interview.

These cigarette novelty lighters are shaped to look like toys ranging from mobile phones to cameras to rubber ducky bath toys. And the University of Michigan burn experts and other fire-prevention leaders are working to increase awareness of the dangers these lighters pose to children.

“The potential risk for accidental injury is very high,” said Ahrns-Klas in a press release. “Even parents can be fooled into thinking these lighters are toys and buy them for their kids. Children pick one up to play with and no one knows it’s dangerous until the damage is done. Not only are burn injuries a risk,” Ahrns-Klas added, “but more than half of all fires that kill children under five years old are started by children playing with fire in the home.”

According to Ahrns-Klas, novelty lighters that look like toys have been banned in Europe since 2006. But the U.S. is far from such measures.

“In the U.S., it is mainly a state-by-state process to get them banned,” she said. “We are not even at the point that every state is considering legislation against them. Right now it is just a grass roots effort with health professionals, trauma burn centers, and fire departments all trying to increase awareness.”

Currently, Michigan Senate Bill 1194 regulating the sale of novelty lighters is before the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

“The biggest message is that people just have to hold one of these lighters to see how they can be associated with such a high risk of danger,” said Ahrns-Klas. “Hopefully, kids know not to buy or touch lighters and matches at any age…but if they are not aware that these are lighters and not toys, it changes the playing ground for them.“

To learn more read:

University of Michigan press release

Senate Bill 1194

U.S. Fire Administration’s toy lighter page.