The dangers of hidden second-hand smoke are being highlighted in a new campaign in Haringey, which follows a parliamentary vote to outlaw smoking in cars carrying children.
The campaign, which is being led by Public Health England and supported by the council, aims to reduce smoking in homes and cars to help protect children from the harmful effects of second hand smoke, which include asthma and chest infections, glue ear and cot death.
Its launch comes hot on the heels of Parliament’s announcement last week that smoking in cars with children present will become a criminal offence from October 1.
There are more than 41,000 smokers living in Haringey and each year smoking costs the borough an estimated £65 million through ill health, early deaths and a loss in productivity. Statistics also show that 90 percent of smokers take up the habit before the age of 19. But new schemes such as an increase in the hours of stop smoking clinics and an online consultation service is helping record numbers of people to kick the habit.
As part of the campaign, stop smoking services have been referring people for free fire safety check in their homes, while children’s centres have been warning residents of the harmful effects of smoking in front of children. Stop smoking clinics run by trained practitioners have also continued on a daily basis at a number of different locations across the borough.
Councillor Peter Morton, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Children are especially vulnerable to the devastating effects that tobacco has on people’s health, so it is absolutely vital that in Haringey we do everything we can to encourage more people to stop smoking particularly around young children.
By highlighting these dangers I hope more people will be motivated to make use of stop smoking support and improve their own health and the health of their children.”
