Smoking ban to trigger rise in house fires
Over 900,000* households will be at increased risk of fire following the public smoking ban, as smokers stay home to indulge their habit.
New research from Direct Line Home Insurance reveals that one in ten smokers (11 per cent) say they will be forced to smoke at home**, resulting in an additional 16 million cigarettes smoked indoors every week***.
Cigarettes are the number one cause of accidental fatal fires in the home, causing 60 house fires a week****. The estimated increase in smoking at home will result in an additional 100 house fires a year***** - according to Direct Line.
The trend for increased residential fires was also seen in New York City following the ban on public smoking in March 2003, and only stabilised after the introduction of fire-proof cigarettes, which also resulted in a fall in cigarette fire fatalities******.
In response to the findings, Direct Line and the Fire Protection Association have issued advice for smokers. These include not smoking in bed – as one in eight smokers do (13 per cent), asking guests to smoke outside, and not smoking late in the evening when the risk of fires is multiplied as sleepy smokers become complacent.
Adair Lewis, of the Fire Protection Association - who assisted Direct Line Home Insurance with the research – said:
“The smoking ban will drive social smoking into people’s homes, so we join Direct Line in urging smokers to take great care when lighting up at home, especially late at night. Smoking should be undertaken safely and with caution and you should never smoke in bed.”
It was also clear from the research that smokers were particularly careless when it comes to smoke alarms. One in ten (10 per cent) home smokers do not have alarms fitted, and of those that do only one in six (17 per cent) properly maintain them by checking them weekly.
Andrew Lowe, Direct Line’s Head of Home Insurance, commented:
“We welcome the ban on public smoking and appreciate the positive effects it will have nationwide. However we want to warn smokers over the dangers they and their homes face.
“By taking simple steps to smoke safely in the home, and by properly maintaining smoke alarms, smokers will significantly reduce the risk they face.”
For more information, log on to www.directline.com.
ADVICE FOR SMOKERS FROM THE FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
- At least one properly maintained smoke alarm on each story of your house is essential; they should be tested every week.
- Avoid smoking late in the evening at home, as this is the most dangerous time for causing accidental fires
- Make sure you completely extinguish a cigarette before throwing it away, and if possible use a sealed ashtray instead of a regular bin
- If you’re planning on socialising at home, and smoking will take place, ask guests to smoke in one room only where hazards can be better monitored and dealt with, or better still, ask guests to smoke outside.
- Do not smoke in bed or in the shed, where flammable objects are more common.
For more information, log on to www.directline.com.
Notes to Editors:
YouGov polled a sample of 2,400 UK adults online, of which 531 were smokers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Data are weighted to be representative of the UK population The research was carried out between 20th and 22nd March 2007.
* Of the 10,035,978 estimated smokers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 70 per cent smoke at home at home = 7,025,184. Of these, 13 per cent say they will smoke more once the ban come into force = 913,273
** 70 per cent of smokers smoke at home = 7,025,184. 15 per cent of these feel the ban will force them to do so = 0.15 x 7,025,184 = 1,053,777
*** The 1,053,777 people who feel forced to smoke at home will increase their weekly smoking by 15.16 cigarettes a week. 15.16 x 1,053,777 = 16 million extra cigarettes per week (15,975,259)
**** Office of National Statistics latest full fire fatalities statistics (2005). 110 of 310 (35 per cent) of fatalities were attributed to smoking related materials, and 3,113 accidental house fires with casualties were due to smoking related material, which is 60 fires a week.
***** 7,025,184 smokers smoke an average of 74 at home per week = 519 million cigarettes per week. The additional 16 million is an 3.1 per cent increase. There are 3,113 cigarette related fires every year, an increase of 3.1 per cent = 96 fires per year (assuming an increase in smoked cigarettes has a direct influence on cigarette related house fires – verified by the Fire Protection Association).
****** FDNY statistics show an increase of 5.6 per cent in residential fires between the years of 2002 and 2004 (2002 - 26,248 fires increasing to 27,718). Following the introduction of ‘fire-proof’ cigarettes in 2004, there has been virtually no change in residential fires (2004 – 27,718 2006 – 27,817) however deaths in cigarette related fires have shown to have fallen by up to 33 per cent
For more information please contact:
RBS Insurance Press Office
Tel: 0208 285 3277
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