Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding smokers to ‘Put it Out, Right Out’ whenever they light up.
Whilst you may have heard many reasons to quit smoking, what is often overlooked is the fire risk associated with smoking and how people can reduce it. Fires caused by smoking products kill more people than fires caused by any other item.
Quitting is the best way to remove the fire risk. If you are considering giving up smoking, the NHS has many stop smoking services available, which are free to use.
If you are a smoker, there are a few extra steps you can take to reduce the chances of your smoking materials leading to a fire:
- Never smoke in bed. Take care when you’re tired – it’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight.
- Smoking when under the influence of drugs or alcohol carries extra risk. If your lit cigarette starts a fire you could be less able to escape.
- Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished
- Fit a smoke alarm and test it at least monthly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.
- Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended – they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
- Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn.
- Make an attempt to quit using NHS support if you need it.
Name, Role said: “Fires ignited by cigarettes or smoking materials result in more fatalities than any other fire. Every smoker should be aware of the risks they take every time they light. The risk of falling asleep before you ‘put it out, right out’ is just too great.
“Make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them at least monthly. Working smoke alarms can give you the extra time you need to escape if the worst should happen.”
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