Fire prevention campaign targets smokers

Smokers are being targeted by a new government campaign highlighting fire prevention in the home.

The £1 million 'Put It Out, Right Out' campaign highlights the consequences of careless smoking.

Government research found that households with a smoker living in them are nearly 35% more likely to have a fire than non-smoking homes.

The research by the Department for Communities & Local Government found that there was an average of 132 deaths, 1,600 injuries and 4,300 fires per year in accidental home fires caused by smoking materials.

The average damage caused by a house fire costs £25,500, compared to the £4.89 average cost of packet of cigarettes.

The campaign, funded by the Department for Communities & Local Government, will run on TV, radio and the internet from January 15 and February 12.

The government has also announced a series of measures aimed at helping preventing fires in the home.

These are:

• Take extra care when you are tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It is very easy to fall asleep without while your cigarette is still burning;
• Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie, do not light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire;
• Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down;
• Buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes - every year children die by starting fires with matches and lighters. Keep these where children cannot reach them.
• Use a proper, heavy ashtray that cannot tip over easily and is made of a material that will not burn. Make sure your cigarette is still not burning when you are finished;
• Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish - and don't let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray;
• Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - when a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999.

Fire Minister Angela Smith said: "Smoking is not only bad for your physical health, but smoking materials are also the biggest cause of fire-related deaths in the home. These are shocking facts and should act as a deterrent to all those smokers out there. However, for those struggling to kick the habit it is important to remember that extra care needs to be taken when smoking at home.

"It is vital that smokers realise now great the risk of fire is. A little extra care will mean fewer lives lost or put at risk and fewer households losing their homes and treasured mementoes."

(KMcA)