When choosing what tool to use when lighting up, whether it’s candles, cigarettes, or any other combustibles, there are many choices on the market.
One former convenience store employee and current actor and puppeteer is advising against using BIC lighters to do any of the above, especially for smoking, because of a residue he suggests is left behind when they are used.
In a video that has drawn over 2 million views on TikTok, Edd Walton (@edd.walton) says he learned in his time working at a convenience store that these lighters leave behind a layer of carbon when burned on a surface like glass, which raises concerns for him about smokers using them to light up.
“Folks, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working at a convenience store for seven years, it’s this: do not use BIC lighters, and I’ll tell you why,” he says in the video. “We’ve all used these BIC lighters for stuff. They are ubiquitous, but here’s what happens when you put one under a table. This is just glass, mind you. This is what happens; this is an incomplete butane burn. Now what this is, is a bunch of carbon particles.”
He then takes a paper towel to wipe the carbon off of the underside of the table, and shows the difference in burning a torch-style lighter, which produces no carbon on the glass. He says this is because the torch lighter “burns off the butane correctly.”
“You see that, that’s in your lungs,” he says of the carbon on the paper towel.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walton via TikTok direct message regarding the video, as well as to BIC via email.
What is the difference between butane and lighter fluid?
Lighter fluid is a liquid refined from petroleum, with a lower flash point than butane, which is a gas that can be refined from petroleum or natural gas. Butane has a higher flash point, and is generally odorless, compared to lighter fluid, which is known for its unique smell.
Should smokers be concerned about carbon from BIC lighters?
Most of the concern about using lighter fluid-fueled lighters versus butane actually comes from the impact of the fuel on the flavor of the cigarette or cigar being smoked, as well as exposure to lighter fluid fumes, rather than the carbon created when the flame comes in contact with a surface.
It is unclear whether the carbon impacts the health of those who smoke, as smoking is already connected to health risks.
Some viewers pointed out that while smoking, potential carbon from the lighter is not what they were worried about, even joking about it.
“Yeah would hate to put harmful chemical in my lungs when smoking,” one commenter wrote.
“Brother, I’m not smoking the flame,” another said.
“If I’m smoking something the small amount of carbon from a lighter is the least of my worries,” a further user said.
@edd.walton Ewwww #lighter #woah ♬ Paper Planes – FULL SONGS
Others remarked that he would have gotten a very similar result from the BIC lighter if he had held it further away from the table and the carbon was able to burn off, or that it is a difference in temperature and pressure.
“Sadly all you have to do is move the lighter down a little at the hottest spot of the flame and it does the same as a torch lighter,” one commenter wrote.
“You got to lower the lighter down from the table a little and then you won’t get that soot,” another said.
“A torch probably burns more carbon off at higher temps… I could be wrong but my guess,” a further user added. “Compare with more regular lighters.”
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