Smoking kills.
Fire risk: LFB figures show cigarettes and related materials to be the cause of more than half of balcony blazes in the past year
Disease-related deaths caused by the use tobacco products are the reason behind the annual “Stoptober” public health campaigns by the NHS. But this autumn, the London Fire Brigade is adding its own efforts to Stoptober because of the risk of death and injury from smoking-related fires, as smoking materials are revealed as the biggest causes of balcony fires in the capital.
The Brigade’s latest figures show that for 130 dwelling fires on balconies over a one-year period, more than half – 76 – were caused by unextinguished cigarettes, cigarette lighters, matches or other smoking materials. “The figure far outweighs any other cause for balcony fires,” the Brigade says.
The Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner Craig Carter said: “Giving up smoking can not only prevent fires, it also provides countless health benefits.
“We’d rather you didn’t smoke at all, but if you are a smoker, it’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire which could not only destroy homes but also cost you your life.
“Non-smokers in flats with a balcony are totally reliant on others to put their cigarettes right out when they’ve finished them. It’s really important that you dispose of smoking materials safely and never throw cigarettes from balconies or windows.
“The best way to make sure you don’t put others in harm’s way is to quit.
“Taking part in Stoptober is the perfect opportunity.”
This year’s Stoptober campaign is encouraging smokers to try quitting for 28 days – experts say stopping for the month makes it five times more likely a smoker will quit for good.
Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including the NHS Quit Smoking app, daily email support, Facebook support groups, information about quitting smoking with a vape, and expert support from local stop-smoking services. Visit the Better Health Quit Smoking website by clicking here.
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