Protect your family from secondhand smoke

There’s now one more reason to quit smoking, as from 1 October 2015 it will be illegal to smoke in a vehicle with someone under 18 present.

The law is changing to protect children and young people from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Both the driver and the smoker can be fined £50 if they break the law.

More than 80% of secondhand smoke is invisible and odourless. No matter how careful you think you’re being, your family still breathes in the harmful chemicals, putting them at risk of meningitis, cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia and increasing the likelihood of breathing problems and chest infections.

By not smoking, you will protect the health of yourself and those close to you.

If you need an added incentive to give up, why not join the thousands of others around the county who are giving up smoking for the 28 day Stoptober challenge this October.

To sign up to the nation’s biggest mass quit attempt, search Stoptober online or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober

Hertfordshire County Council’s Stop Smoking service provides free, local stop smoking support to anyone who lives or works in Hertfordshire. Text SMOKEFREE to 80818, call 0800 389 3 998 or visit www.hertsdirect.org/stopsmoking for help to quit.

You can also get free help to quit from your local pharmacy or GP.

More information about the Smoking in Cars legislation is available at: www.gov.uk/government/news/smoking-in-vehicles. To view an animation about the new law visit: https://youtu.be/5jB9zSTlvwY

To find out more about other health initiatives in Hertfordshire please visit www.hertsdirect.org/healthinherts

 

Read more about this by following the link to read a Launch release Launch release