A lighter, comprising: a housing (100; 600) having a supply of fuel; an ignition mechanism for igniting fuel from the supply of fuel; an activating unit (150; 650; 340, 350; 450) movably associated with the housing (100; 600) to selectively ignite the fuel upon application of an activating force to the activating unit (150; 650; 340, 350; 450); and at least two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) exposed through separate openings in the housing (100; 600) to allow a user to use at least two fingers to apply forces to the contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) which combined are greater than or equal to the activating force characterized in that the separate openings of the housing (100; 600) are spaced apart, each of the at lest two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) is operatively associated with the ignition mechanism such that force applied to either of the at least two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) activates the ignition mechanism and releases fuel from the supply of fuel such that released fuel is ignited by the ignition mechanism when activated; and the fuel is selectively ignitable by applying the activating force to a first contact area of said at least two contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) alone, or by applying the activating force to a second contact area of said at least two contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) alone, or by applying the activating force to the first contact area and to the second contact area in combination. a housing (100; 600) having a supply of fuel; an ignition mechanism for igniting fuel from the supply of fuel; an activating unit (150; 650; 340, 350; 450) movably associated with the housing (100; 600) to selectively ignite the fuel upon application of an activating force to the activating unit (150; 650; 340, 350; 450); and at least two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) exposed through separate openings in the housing (100; 600) to allow a user to use at least two fingers to apply forces to the contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) which combined are greater than or equal to the activating force characterized in that the separate openings of the housing (100; 600) are spaced apart, each of the at lest two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) is operatively associated with the ignition mechanism such that force applied to either of the at least two separate contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) activates the ignition mechanism and releases fuel from the supply of fuel such that released fuel is ignited by the ignition mechanism when activated; and the fuel is selectively ignitable by applying the activating force to a first contact area of said at least two contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) alone, or by applying the activating force to a second contact area of said at least two contact areas (150a, 150b; 652, 656; 350b, 345; 450b, 440) alone, or by applying the activating force to the first contact area and to the second contact area in combination.