In accordance with the new law that went into affect December 1, all cigarettes in Minnesota must be "fire-safe".  This means unattended cigarettes will extinguish on their own through the magic of technology.

According to KSTP, 25 percent of all fire deaths are caused by cigarettes left unattended, and nationwide cigarette fires cause about 700 to 900 deaths a year. So, this seems like a legit concern, I suppose.

Still, many Minnesota smokers have taken to driving to Wisconsin to get their precious real cigarettes. It sure is inconvenient for a cigarette to go out if you don't puff on it enough, so the logical solution is to drive hundreds of miles across state borders to avoid that inconvenience. I guess if you're already making the trek for fireworks and beer on Sundays, picking up a pack of hazardous smokes couldn't hurt.

Except, you know, your house might burn down. Well, this just goes to show there's truly no group more stubborn than smokers.