Campaign warns of dangers of secondhand smoke
A national advertising campaign launches today to emphasise the dangers of secondhand smoke in the home and in cars.
More than 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and odourless, and smokers are warned that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke, particularly around children.
Children breathing in other people’s cigarette smoke resulted in 300,000 GP visits and 9,500 hospital admissions last year in the UK and up to 5 million children are thought to be regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in the home.
The campaign aims to encourage smokefree homes and cars in England and to increase the number of quit attempts by smokers. It will run until 31 May.
Watch the ad on secondhand smoke in the home
Watch the ad on secondhand smoke in the home
Watch the ad on secondhand smoke in cars
Watch the ad on secondhand smoke in cars
Survey on children’s views on smoking
As the campaign launches, a new survey reveals that children want smokefree lives. The survey found that:
- 98% of children wish their parents would stop smoking
- 82% of children wish their parents wouldn’t smoke in front of them at home
- 78% of children wished their parents wouldn’t smoke in front of them in the car
- 41% of children said cigarette smoke made them feel ill
- 42% of children said cigarette smoke made them cough
Smokers will be able to order a new Smokefree Kit by texting HOME to 63818 or by visiting the Smokefree website.
The campaign is just one part of the wider Government strategy on tobacco. From 6 April, tobacco displays in large shops will end. Consultation on plain packaging for tobacco is also planned to take place later this spring.