Making your home smokefree will help reduce the risk to family members, visitors, pets (who can also get cancer and other illnesses from breathing second-hand smoke) and workers who come to your home.
It will also save you money on cleaning, decorating and repair costs – as your property won’t be damaged by smoke – and reduce the chance of a fire in your home.
Here’s some tips to help you keep your home smokefree
Go right outside to smoke, and don’t come back inside until your cigarette is out.
- Step right out – at least 7 steps away from an open door.
- Do not leave young children unattended – ask someone you trust to watch them while you pop out.
- Don’t let anyone smoke indoors. Ask them to go outside and tell them you are keeping your home smoke-free for your family.
- To make it easy for you - keep an umbrella by your door so it’s easy to go outside, whatever the weather. Keep a ceramic pot with water or sand outside to dispose of cigarettes safely – empty this periodically straight into your outside bin; don’t bring cigarette ends inside.
- Think about how you can make smoking outside part of your usual, daily routine. Do you already go outside for short periods, for example if you walk down to a bus stop, or if you take bottles to a bank for recycling? You could use these outdoor walks as a smoking opportunity.
Listen to local fire service staff talking you through a safe and well visit, and the potential fire risks when smoking and vaping in your home.
Smokefree cars
Smoking inside cars results in very high concentrations of smoke, due to the small, enclosed space. Because of this, a law was brought in (in 2015) making it illegal to smoke in a vehicle when an under 18 is present.
Find out more about the law
To avoid any harm to others – it’s best never to smoke inside your car.
Listen to a Public Health manager talking about work to raise awareness of the law on smoking in cars where under 18s are present.