| abstract |
A lighter and a method for monitoring smoking behavior include a lighter having a housing and a lockable lighting element secured to the housing. A smoking reduction plan includes smoking reduction goals specific to the user of the lighter, such as a maximum number of daily cigarettes, and a time interval between cigarette smoking events. The user operates a trigger to activate the lighting element to light a cigarette. When the lighting element is activated for a sufficient duration of time, the lighter records a smoking event. A microprocessor is configured for controlling the operation of the lighting element. When the elapsed time since the most recent smoking event is less than the target smoking interval, or when a user has reached the maximum daily cigarette limit, the microprocessor may optionally render the lighting element inoperable. |