12 March 2008 - NATIONAL NO SMOKING DAY
The Fire and Rescue Service has a vested interest in helping to promote No Smoking Dayand encouraging people to give up smoking.
“Most people know the long term damage smoking can do to their health and why it makes sense to give up. What a lot of people don’t know is smoking can kill you very quickly,” said David Mallin, Head of Community Safety, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service.
“Most fires where people are killed are caused by carelessness with smoking materials, much more than any other single cause, so please don’t be short-sighted and think that the damage to your health can only be long term.”
If you do smoke
- Make sure you have completely extinguished smoking materials before leaving the house or going to bed.
- Don’t empty ashtrays into bins; pour water over cigarette ends and place them in a metal container and preferably outside.
- If you are tired or have consumed alcohol and are alone in a room, don’t smoke.
- Never – ever – smoke in bed. You might not wake up. Ever.
Many of those most at risk such as older people and students live alone and they may also have furniture with the old style polyurethane foam, which can catch fire very easily. Also, they may not have the early warning that comes from working smoke alarms.
For these reasons Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service fully support No Smoking Day on March 12th.
For a free home fire safety check by your local firefighters, including the fitting of a free smoke alarm if required, call 0800 169 0320.
If you want to give up smoking call: Scotland Smokeline 0800 848484.
Enquiries Contact: Nicole Carter
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
Tel. 0131 659 7310 or 07831124525 |
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