Smokefree homes
Protect your family from harmful smoke
in your home
The benefits begin the minute your home becomes smokefree!
- A smokefree home is a healthier home for you and your children.
- Your health will improve if you smoke less cigarettes.
- Your children won’t see you smoking and are less likely to copy you.
- A smokefree home is a fresher, brighter home that doesn’t need decorating so often.
- A smokefree home is a safer home - more fires in the home are caused by cigarettes than any other single cause.
- A smokefree car is more pleasant and does not smell of stale smoke.
- Your pets’ health will also benefit!
What if you can't go outside?
Quit smoking medication might help cope with the craving for a cigarette - contact Smokefree Hampshire for advice.
Top tips for a smokefree home
- Once you’ve decided to have a smokefree home/car, give them both a really thorough clean and dust. Chemicals from cigarettes gather in house dust. If you’ve cleaned and washed upholstery, it makes you less likely to want to make it dirty again by smoking indoors.
- Have an old coat, shoes and an umbrella in a porch or external area ready to go outside for a cigarette. The easier it is, the more likely you are to do it.
- Put an ashtray outside in your smoking area so that you don’t have to dispose of cigarette butts on the ground where they can be picked up by young children.
- Where possible and safe, close the door behind you to prevent smoke travelling back
- Chemicals from smoke remain on your breath for about 20 minutes after a cigarette. When you come inside, wash your hands and don’t kiss babies/children for this time.
- It is against the law to smoke in a vehicle when a child under 18 is present. Your car will smell fresher and cleaner if you never smoke in it.
- Keep cigarettes, lighters and vapes out of reach and sight of children.
Making your home smokefree
If you don’t feel ready to quit smoking right now, making your home smokefree can help protect your family from the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke.
- Make sure you always go right out of the house to smoke (even if children aren’t at home).
- Since chemicals from smoke gets into fabric, a smokefree home/car should have no exceptions to the rule. This means never smoking in that area - not just when the children are present.
- Tell visitors or guests who visit your home that it is now smokefree and ask visitors not to smoke in your home.
Why is secondhand smoke so harmful to children?
Children have very little control over breathing in cigarette smoke so it is up to adults to protect them. Babies and young children have smaller lungs and immune systems that are not fully developed.
Over 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible.
Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of many illnesses:
- Children are more likely to get coughs and colds and ear infections.
- The chance of your child getting asthma doubles.
- Babies are more at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Cot Death).
- Children are more at risk of meningitis.
- Tobacco smoke contains 4,000 chemicals of which over 69 are known to cause cancer.
What are some of the toxic chemicals found in secondhand smoke?
- Tar is known to cause both cancer and lung damage
- Carbon monoxide is a gas found in car exhaust fumes
- Benzene is found in petrol fumes and causes leukaemia
- Ethanol is used in anti-freeze
- Ammonia is used in cleaning products
- Formaldehyde is an embalming fluid
- Hydrogen cyanide is an industrial pollutant
- Arsenic is effectively rat poison
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) is found in diesel exhaust
Using a vape?
Vaping is not risk free, however, it is much less harmful than smoking and is an effective quitting aid for adult smokers. When vaping you may wish to consider the following:
- Whilst there is currently no evidence to suggest that second hand vaping poses a health risk, you may choose not to vape around your children
- It is illegal to sell vapes to under 18s. Discourage younger family members from using vapes
- Keep your vapes and e-liquids away from children and pets
- Be careful when charging a vape as using an incorrect charger can be a fire risk
NHS e-cigarettes and vaping article contains more detailed information.
I want to stop smoking: where can I get help?
Smokefree Hampshire, the local Stop Smoking Service for Hampshire, offers free, friendly help and professional support. Call them or visit their website to find out what support is available, including free nicotine replacement patches, gum, inhalator and lozenge.