Fire and Rescue Service staff will offer people who smoke information about NHS support to help them stop as part of a new partnership between North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Help Me Quit. 

As part of the new initiative, staff will give smokers details of free help available from local stop smoking experts during safe and well checks at their homes.

Help Me Quit offers free support from a stop smoking expert for up to 12 weeks, plus free stop smoking medicines worth up to £250.

Partnerships and Communities Manager Kevin Jones said lighting up could be deadly.  

He said: “We’re proud to be working with Help Me Quit to help people who want to stop smoking access the best possible support from the NHS completely free of charge.

“As well as the health impacts of smoking, people need to be aware of the deadly risks it creates in the home – and how careless disposal of smoking materials can very quickly and easily lead to a fire.”

Smoking is the biggest cause of avoidable illness and the early death in Wales. Research shows smoking is responsible for around 5,000 deaths and costs health services more than £300 million across Wales every year.

Service lead for Help Me Quit in North Wales Suzanne Williams said: “It’s wonderful to have the backing of North Wales Fire and Rescue, and great that their staff will be able to provide information about free support to stop smoking available from Help Me Quit when they visit homes across North Wales.

“Our friendly NHS specialist stop smoking advisors already work with thousands of people every year, helping them break free from the cigarettes, feel better and save money.

“People who smoke can get help tailored to their needs from our advisors over the phone or face to face, or they can visit one of more than 100 local community pharmacies which offer the service throughout North Wales.

“We hope this new partnership will help more people take up the support we offer in a way that’s convenient for them – and helps to reduce the risk of fires in the home.”

People who smoke 20 cigarettes a day could also save as much as £380 a month when they quit.

Kevin added:

“Smokers should be aware of the fire risks they face, cut out dangerous habits, install smoke alarms on every level of the home and test them weekly,” he said.

“Without an early detection system in place you could lose valuable escape time in a fire. Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke can render a person unconscious.

“When extinguishing cigarettes smokers must make sure they 'put it out, right out' and if possible refrain from smoking in the home at all.”

More information about Help Me Quit services in North Wales is available here.

Simple precautions to prevent a fire at home:

- If you can, avoid smoking inside your home – this is the simplest and safest way to protect your property and loved ones from the risk of fire. Free one-to-one personal support to stop smoking (including free stop smoking medicines worth up to £250) is available from Help Me Quit.

- Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished

- Fit a smoke alarm and test it weekly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999

- Never smoke in bed. Take care when you're tired. It's very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight

- Avoid drugs and alcohol when smoking. It's easy to lose your concentration when using any sort of drugs or drinking alcohol, combined with cigarettes and this could be lethal

- Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down

- Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over easily and is made of a material that won't burn.