Smokefree homes are safer homes

A smokefree home is good for the health and safety of your home and family, a fact that both Northland DHB and NZ Fire Service Northland's Fire Safety Ambassadors have been promoting for the past year through the Te Kotahitanga programme.

A survey of the Northland households that have had fire safety checks showed that 51 per cent of respondents who smoke, or have a member of their household who smokes, have banned smoking inside their home after being given smokefree information.



The survey also asked whether any household fires had occurred in their home in the last seven years, and the cause of these. Five per cent of respondents said that a fire had occurred in their household because of cigarette burns or disposal of ashes.



From January 2000 to December 2005, 35 Northland house fires were caused by careless disposal of cigarettes, cigars or ashes. A further 13 house fires were caused by people falling asleep while smoking. Since January 2006, Northland has had a further nine house fires caused by careless disposal of cigarettes, cigars or ashes, and one from falling asleep while smoking.



To further support the smokefree homes message, NZ Fire Service promotes the fire safety message that matches and lighters are not toys. It also urges householders to dispose safely  of ashes from cigarette smoking or fireplaces.



"We have a high proportion of smokers in Northland, so the community and the Fire Service benefit directly through more homes becoming smokefree," said Mike Lister, Assistant Fire Region Commander (Fire Safety) for Northland.



"We are working together to protect the health and safety of Northlanders and their homes.  No-one wants to see any more fire tragedies attributed to smoking paraphernalia," said Bridget Rowse, Northland DHB's Smokefree Coordinator. "Making homes smokefree also protects children from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke."



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For further information contact:                                  

Bridget Rowse, Smokefree Coordinator

Phone (09) 430 4101 ext 7908

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