Is your home safe?
This year many of us have been spending a lot more time indoors and with the colder months rolling in looks set to continue. But is your home safe for everybody in it? Coronavirus isn’t the only hidden danger you need to be aware of, second-hand smoke can be deadly.
Second-hand smoke (sometimes called passive smoking) is smoke that is exhaled by someone who is smoking and is released from the tip of a lit cigarette). The particles contain more than 7,000 chemicals including 7 that cause cancer. Because the particles in second-hand smoke are so small 85% of them are invisible, so even if you smoke by an open window this will not reduce the harm from second-hand smoke. The room will be full of invisible harmful particles that will be breathed in by any humans or pets in the room.
Exposing children to second-hand smoke causes:
- Ear infections
- More frequent and severe asthma attacks
- Respiratory symptoms (for example, coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath)
- Respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia)
- A greater risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Second-hand smoke also causes stroke, lung cancer and heart disease.
Keep your home and car smoke free – even smoking in one room in a property with the door to the rest of the house closed isn’t safe. Smoke can travel under doorways and via stairwells and corridors to the rest of the building.
The best way to keep yourself and the people around you safe is to quit smoking. You can get free advice and medications help make this easier. Call us today on 0800 013 0553 or to refer yourself via the website please click here
FREE My Quit Route App
Not ready to speak to us just yet? Why not download our free My Quit Route app. Its free to anyone who lives or works in Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire or Bedford Borough. The app will guide you through a set of questions to help you decide what support is right for you. It has a range of self-help activities to manage cravings, stress and day-to-day triggers around your smoking. Available from Apple and Google Play
Laura Martin
Nov 20