Smoke Free Homes

A major smokefree homes campaign has been launched in Chapeltown

Over the coming months members of NHS Leeds’ smokefree homes team and Leeds City Council’s environmental health team will be visiting primary schools, children’s centres and maternity services. They will educate people on the dangers of second hand smoke and outline how they can achieve gold in the smokefree homes challenge. In addition to this, health visitors and neonatal outreach nurses will also be encouraging their patients to have a smokefree home.

What is second hand smoke?

Second hand smoke comes from both the tip of a cigarette and the smoke that is breathed back out by the smoker. Wherever people smoke, there is second hand smoke in the air although you might not notice it because it is almost invisible and odourless.

Even if you open a window, second hand smoke will still be present in a room after two and a half hours! Although you can't see or smell any smoke, it's probably still there. Smoking in a car is even worse because all of the smoke is concentrated into a small space.

Second hand smoke and children's health

Children are particularly affected by second hand smoke because their bodies are still developing, and around half of all British children are growing up in homes where at least one parent is a smoker.

• Cot death is twice as likely to occur in babies whose mothers smoke.
• Smoking near children is a cause of serious respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
• Exposure to second hand smoke increases the risk of children developing asthma and causes asthma attacks.
• Younger children who are exposed to second hand smoke are much more likely to contract a serious respiratory infection that requires hospitalisation.
• There is also an increased risk of meningitis for children who are exposed to second hand smoke.
• Babies and children exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to get coughs and colds, as well as middle ear disease, which can cause deafness.

One of the best things you can do to protect other people and children is to keep your home and car smokefree by smoking outside as smoke can linger for up to two-and-a-half-hours.