Coinciding with today’s national No Smoking Day, fire officials have released figures showing that cigarettes are the cause of a third of deaths in accidental house fires.
Despite the shocking figures, a poll taken for the day showed that over half of all smokers were unaware of the danger and did not know that smoking is the biggest cause of all fatal house fires.
The Chief Fire and Rescue advisor for the Government, Sir. Ken Knight, said: “"People need to be aware of the risks of smoking in the home."
No Smoking Day has also seen a quit-smoking app launch on Facebook which promises to ‘make quitting fun’. The application will let users create rewards when they succeed, challenge friends to do the same thing, and even quit for charity, raising money through sponsorship when they succeed. When they trip up, they can also set up forfeits for themselves.
No Smoking Day has been running for 27 years and receives funding from a combination of government bodies, charities and not-for-profit organisations.
The president of No Smoking Day Duncan Bannatyne said his team believed that quitting is a challenge and that rather than being a chore, it should be enjoyable and inspiring, hence the positive message of the Facebook app.
Well, we’re not sure if quitting will ever be enjoyable, but we wish the very best of luck to all those who are making the attempt. There are so many ways you can get help, from counselling groups to nicotine replacement to Champix, but the main thing is having the will power and the belief that your life can be better without cigarettes!