Charity reveals one in three smokers smoke at home despite passive smoking dangers

More than one in three smokers light up inside their house a shocking new British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland survey has found.

Despite the dangers of passive smoking to family and loved ones the charity found 34% of smokers selfishly refuse to take their cigarettes outside.

The charity released the survey results on No Smoking Day (Wednesday, 11 March) and is urging smokers to put their families first by attempting to quit.

BHF associate medical director Dr Mike Knapton said: “Every week, thousands of children are exposed to passive smoke in enclosed spaces, putting them at greater risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and sudden infant death.

“Simply opening a window does not protect your children from breathing in harmful chemicals.

Simply opening a window does not protect your children from breathing in harmful chemicals

“Smoking is not healthy for smokers or for the people around them.

“If you’re a smoker and looking to quit, contact your pharmacist or local stop smoking team on No Smoking Day for information and advice.”

The survey also oddly found that, despite the health risks of passive smoking including an increased risk of coronary heart disease, only one in four non-smokers say they are more worried about their own health than that of smokers.

Almost one in five people were under the misapprehension that opening a window offers them protection from cigarette smoke’s harmful effects.

And 43% of smoker’s partners admit they find smoking unattractive, with one in four admitting they don’t want to go near their partner when they smell of smoke.

BHF Scotland is currently supporting proposed legislation to ban smoking in cars where children are present, and backs the Scottish Government’s ambition for a tobacco-free generation by 2034.

It estimates nearly one million smokers in the UK will quit this No Smoking Day.