Fire Safety Awareness on No Smoking Day
Cigarette and smoking materials are the most common cause of fatal accidental fires in the UK, resulting in over 80 deaths per year. Fire fighters are being urged to get involved in No Smoking Day, which last year encouraged hundreds of thousands of smokers to make a quit attempt.1
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is encouraging fire services to use No Smoking Day as an opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking in the home with the hope to improve the health of the public as well as reduce smoking related fires in the home. No Smoking Day 2016 will be held on Wednesday 9 March and is set to inspire quitters with a ‘Proud to be a Quitter’ theme.
Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at BHF, said: “Smoking can have devastating effects on not only a person’s health, but the health and safety of their family. Many smokers are unaware of the risk they are taking every time they light up a cigarette at home.
“Fire service crews play an essential role in raising awareness of the dangers of smoking in the home. Engaging the local community through No Smoking Day events is a great way to talk about fire safety, offer free smoke alarms or checks or take part in a local community event to help spread the word.”
It is estimated that 2.6 million adults in the UK use e-cigarettes2. No Smoking Day also presents a great opportunity to bring awareness of how to use e-cigarettes safely in the home.The Chief Fire
Officers Association (CFOA) offers these tips for e-cigarette users3 :
- E-cigarette users are advised to follow these safety tips when charging:
- Always use the correct charger and follow the manufacturer’s instructions
- Never charge a battery that has signs of damage, that has been dropped, or has been subjected to impact
- Never plug a charger into a non-approved mains power transformer
- Check that your e-cigarette battery has overcharge or overheat protection
- Remove the battery from charge when complete – don’t over charge
- Never leave a battery on charge unattended
- Don’t use if wet or exposed to water
- Do not over tighten the atomiser or when connecting to charge
- Ensure that you dispose of batteries correctly.
Fire services who want to organise their own No Smoking Day events and activities can download a free organiser’s pack, including posters, leaflets and a handbook at nosmokingday.org.uk
- DCLG, Fire statistics 2013/14
- ASH. Use of electronic cigarettes in Great Britain. May 2015
- CFOA highlights e-cigarette risk to home oxygen users following fire death
About CFOA
The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is a professional membership association and a registered charity. CFOA members are drawn from all UK Fire & Rescue Services (FRSs) representing the senior executives and managers of the Service. Through the work of its members the Association supports the Fire and Rescue Services of the UK in its aspiration to protect the communities they serve and to continue to improve the overall performance of the fire sector. CFOA provides professional and technical advice to inform national fire policy.
About No Smoking Day
No Smoking Day merged with the British Heart Foundation in 2011. The annual No Smoking Day campaign, which is now in its 33rd year, inspires and helps smokers who want to quit, and is supported by an alliance of UK health bodies and charities. For more information about the No Smoking Day campaign, visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk
About the British Heart Foundation
For over 50 years we’ve pioneered research that’s transformed the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. Our work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are changing the fight against heart disease. But so many people still need our help. From babies born with life-threatening heart problems to the many Mums, Dads and Grandparents who survive a heart attack and endure the daily battles of heart failure. Join our fight for every heartbeat in the UK. Every pound raised, minute of your time and donation to our shops will help make a difference to people’s lives. For more information on the BHF, visit www.bhf.org.uk
For more information, go to www.nosmokayday.org
