Stop smoking support

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is the smoke breathed out (exhaled) by a smoker, as well as the smoke from the burning tip of a cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals which include poisonous gases - 50 of these are known to cause cancer.

More than 80% of secondhand smoke is invisible and odourless, and can linger in the home for hours. So no matter how careful you are with where you smoke, those around you can still breathe in harmful poisons.

Effects of secondhand smoke

A non-smoker who is exposed to secondhand smoke is more likely to have a stroke, heart attack or lung cancer. When someone smokes, everyone is put at risk, especially children and pets.

Babies and children

Babies and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing and they cannot get away from the exposure. As a result, they are more at risk of developing bronchitis, asthma, and ear infections, and are also more at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (cot death). Children living with smokers are also three times more likely to smoke than children living in a non-smoking home.

Pets

Just like people, pets can have a strong reaction to smoke. They can develop respiratory infections, lung inflammation, asthma and can also increase pets risk of cancer and other illnesses. Not only do pets inhale the toxic air, they also absorb dangerous chemicals when they groom themselves because of the toxins from tobacco smoke in their fur.

The NHS website provide more information on protecting your family and friends from secondhand smoke.

The smokefree legislation, introduced in July 2007, restricts people to smoking mainly in their homes or outdoors.

On average, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service responds to 30 accidental dwelling fires each year caused by smoking at dwellings. Smoking materials were also found the source of ignition in over a third of the county's fire fatalities.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is working across the county and reminding residents that smoking at home is not without risk.

To keep your home free from fire, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service gives the following advice:

• Dispose of all smoking materials properly. Tobacco is designed to continue burning so stub it out - right out.
• Use a proper, heavy-based ashtray for ashes and cigarette ends which won't tip over or catch light.
• Don't smoke late at night when you are tired or have been drinking, as you may be unaware of burning ashes. Never leave lit smoking materials unattended.
• Keep smoking materials, matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
• Protect you, your home and your family with a working smoke alarm.

We are pleased to present the Surrey Tobacco Control Strategy 2023-2026. Whilst the proportion of people in Surrey who smoke has declined overall since 2011, some groups in our society are more likely to smoke than others and smoking continues to be a significant contributor to health inequalities and a leading cause of ill health and early death locally.

This strategy welcomes the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 4 October 2023 proposing to introduce a new law to protect future generations of young people from the harms of smoking. This move would be the most significant public health intervention in a generation, saving tens of thousands of lives and saving the NHS billions of pounds. This strategy supports our ambition to make Surrey smokefree between now and the new legislation being approved and implemented in 2027.

Our ambition is to work towards the national goal for a smokefree society, however this cannot be achieved in isolation. As it is made clear in the strategy, all partners will have a role to play, whether it be our focus on prevention, regulatory enforcement, education, creating smokefree public places or providing political or financial support for effective tobacco control.

Priorities for Surrey:

1. Supporting all tobacco users to quit (including commissioning a Local Stop Smoking Service open to all and targeting population groups where smoking rates remain high)
2. Providing evidence-based education (including developing curriculum materials for schools)
3. Local regulation and enforcement (including taking actions to reduce the sale of tobacco related products and electronic cigarettes to people underage)
4. Creating smokefree environments (including supporting all hospital trusts to become smoke free)