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- Tips to Making the Fresh Start Wales Summer Promise If you must smoke (and remember help is available from Stop Smoking Wales if you want to give up) Set a date when you are going to make your car completely smoke-free and stick to it Always take your smoking outside well away from everyone else Remove your car cigarette lighters and clear out ash trays to avoid temptation To make the Summer Promise, or to show your support for the Fresh Start Wales campaign, sign our online pledge map
The Fresh Start Wales Summer Promise is being launched ahead of the school holidays, when families are getting set to spend more time together. The Promise centres on parents’ commitment to keep their cars free from smoke and potentially putting children in danger of breathing in poisonous toxins. Fresh Start Wales will be taking the Promise out to Welsh communities across the holidays as part of its summer road show.
Fresh Start Wales is a Welsh Government campaign to reduce children’s exposure to second-hand smoke by raising awareness of the associated dangers it poses. Exposure to cigarette smoke increases the risk of children developing serious health conditions such as asthma and breathing disorders, ear infections and it has even been linked to causing cot death and meningitis.
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said:
"Second-hand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals which can harm children’s health. More than 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and has no smell – so the danger is worse than people mightthink. The car is a particularly dangerous place to smoke as it is such a confined space. The toxins within smoke linger in the car for hours so still pose a risk even if you only smoke when children aren’t in the car. Opening the window can actually make matters worse by blowing toxic smoke into the back of the car where children sit."
"The summer holidays are a time when families traditionally spend a lot of time together; whether going on day trips or travelling on holiday. But while families may be in the car more frequently, we don’t want to see a rise in children’s exposure to second-hand smoke. That’s why we’re encouraging people in Wales to make the Fresh Start Summer Promise; to make a fresh start for themselves and their family and keep their cars smoke free.
"We don’t want to tell parents what to do, simply arm them with the facts about smoking and the danger that it poses to children. We believe that parents want to protect their children and, once they are fully aware of the risks, they will choose not to smoke in front of them."
