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Smoking safety was an issue that we didn't think we needed to address since neither my husband nor I smoke. However, my father-in-law smoked and the first time he came to our house, we realized that we needed to have some safety guidelines to keep our family safe. Smoking hazards were, indeed, something we needed to think about!
 - According to the EPA, “Residential fires caused by cigarettes are the leading cause of fire-related death.”
- Quitting smoking can be the best protection not only for your health, but the safety of your home as well.
- The USFA reported that “Every year, almost 1,000 smokers and non-smokers are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials.”
- “One-in-four people killed in home fires is not the smoker whose cigarette caused the fire. More than one third were children of the smokers.”
Smoking Safety Tips
- If you smoke, think about quitting
- Never smoke inside your home or your car; smoke outside if need be
- Use fire-safe cigarettes; they are less likely to cause a fire if dropped or left unattended
- Remove all cigarette butts from the smoking area
- Never smoke in your bed; cigarettes accidentally dropped on a bed or a couch can start a fire in a matter of seconds
- Do not leave cigarettes, pipes, or cigars unattended (even if they aren’t burning)
- Use deep sturdy ashtrays
- Run the cigarette under water or put a little water in the bottom of the ashtray to ensure that the cigarette is completely out
- Check your floors and lawn for ashes or cigarette butts if you have had friends or family over that smoked
The danger of smoking isn’t limited to accidental fires. Smoking is not only dangerous to the health of the smoker, but to those around him as well.
The EPA is quoted as saying, “Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke because they are still developing physically, have higher breathing rates than adults, and have little control over their indoor environments.”
In terms of smoking safety, it’s good to remember that while you may not do certain things in your home, you might have people in your lives that have habits you need to address to keep your family safe. Smoking is an important component in child fire safety.
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