Smokefree Homes and Businesses

Smokefree Homes

Why Smokefree Homes?

Smokefree Homes is a project aimed at promoting healthier homes across North Somerset. The Smokefree Homes project is just one of several aimed at improving the health of North Somerset residents.

The campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of second hand smoke and encourage families to get rid of smoking in their homes. A smokefree home is a safe environment for your children and pets.

For more information about how to make your home smokefree download our leaflet (insert link to leaflet).

Some of the many benefits of a smokefree home:

You will reduce your children’s risk of developing coughs, chest infections and middle ear infections (glue ear)
You will reduce the risk of your children developing asthma and they will have better control of their asthma
Your home will be fresher and cleaner and will not smell of smoke
You won’t have 4000 chemicals from tobacco smoke polluting the air, 69 of which are cancer causing
You will protect your family from toxins in tobacco smoke such as benzene, acetone, ammonia, formaldehyde and DDT
Your clothes will smell fresher and cleaner
You won’t make your children breathe the equivalent of smoking 5-10 packs a year
Your child won’t be one of the 17,000 children hospitalised every year for illnesses caused by second hand smoke
You will enjoy the taste and smell of food more
Your children will be less likely to suffer from lung cancer later in life
Children and adults will reduce the risk of heart disease in the future
Your child’s delicate lungs can grow without harm from tobacco smoke
You will give the message to your children that smoking has no place in enclosed spaces
Family members with existing health problems will benefit from the cleaner and healthier indoor air
You will reduce the risk of a fire in your home (smoking materials cause 56,000 fires each year)
You will spend less time, energy and money cleaning your home.
No more smelly ashtrays in the house with butts that the children might put in their mouths
You will make your children feel they are important to you because you are protecting their health
It will be a healthier environment for your pets.

The list is endless!

Tips on how to make your home smoke free

Make smoking an outdoor activity

What to do:

Let family and friends know your house is smoke free
Get rid of your ashtrays
Redecorate rooms to get rid of the smell of tobacco smoke
Display a sticker or door hanger to remind people your home is smoke free

If you cannot make your home smoke free make sure your children are not around anyone who is smoking.

Remember it is your home and asking your family and friends not to smoke is not too much to ask to protect your children.

Never smoke in your child's bedroom or in any room that your child uses.

80% of children who smoke have a mum or dad that smoke. Why not be a good role model and think about stopping smoking yourself?

Overcoming Barriers

You can put up friendly signs asking people not to smoke
It is simple. Just say, ‘If you want to smoke– go outside.’
Make a rule for all your family and friends - that your car and home are smoke free. Ask people who want to smoke to go outside. It is not enough to just open a door or window.
Place no smoking signs and stickers in prominent places around the home and inside the car. Ask your children to design and make the signs or use the ones provided in the pack.
Tell children and young people about the dangers of second hand smoke so that they can try to avoid it.
Ask anyone looking after your children in your home or in their home not to smoke in the presence of your children.
In public places, politely ask smokers to move away from children or move to areas that are smokefree. Since the passing of the Smokefree legislation, this is a lot easier to do.

Smokefree Businesses

A smokefree workplace is a healthier workplace. It also supports employees who are making quit attempts or have gone smokefree at home. Aside from the health benefits, there are business benefits too:

less absenteeism
increased productivity
improved staff morale
better image
more pleasant environment

NHS North Somerset Stop Smoking Service is working with employers to deliver a new and free healthy lifestyles programme – known as ‘Look after your lungs’ – a training package developed by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. It is designed to inform employees on the advantages of making lifestyle changes to benefit them and their employers. As well as providing general health and wellbeing advice on physical activity and what constitutes a healthy diet, the sessions focus on raising awareness of lung cancer and recognising the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

The sessions are designed for all employees, whether they smoke or not, and a range of literature is available at the end for people to take home and share with family and friends. It does however; provide an opportunity to promote the availability of the free Stop Smoking Service, which is available at GP surgeries and pharmacies. Research shows that only 7% of the population are aware of this service and that taking advantage of it can treble the chances of quitting smoking once and for all.

The gold standard would be for the employer to offer Support to Stop Smoking advice by a trained Advisor ‘in house’, once everyone has received the ‘Look after your Lungs’ training.

North Somerset NHS Stop Smoking Service can:
Support staff in your business who would like to quit
Train staff within your organisation to offer stop smoking advice (dependent on size of business)
Provide on-going support to trained staff.

There are also resources that can help maintain a smokefree environment on the Smokefree England website such as signs, posters and leaflets which can be ordered free of charge.

If you would like more information about Smokefree
Homes or Businesses please contact our Health
Improvement Specialist for Tobacco Control.
Contact us.