Info for Parents
Get Involved in the Smoke Free Kids Project
What’s the Smoke Free Kids Project all about?
Smoke Free Kids is a project to help raise awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. The project involves creating a ‘promise contract’ between you, the parent, and your child on the level of smoke in your home.
The best possible way to protect a child from secondhand smoke is by making their lives smoke free. If you want to start protecting your child in this way or already provide a smoke free home and car then sign up to the Platinum Promise. If you don’t feel, at this time, that you can provide a completely smoke free home, then sign up to either the Gold or the Silver Promise. It is important to offer children at least some protection given the extreme dangers secondhand smoke poses to their health.
The Promise Categories:
Platinum
I promise to keep my house and car smoke free.
Gold
I promise to only allow smoking in one room of my house
(excluding the child’s bedroom and the living room) making sure there are no
children present and the window/door is open. The car will be smoke free.
Silver
I promise not to smoke or allow others to smoke in
the same room as children and the car will be smoke free.
How do I sign up?
If you would like to sign up to the promise, go to www.hpns.nhs.uk and fill in your details. Once you have signed up to the promise you will receive a certificate and smoke free stickers for your home and car.
By signing up to the promise, this small change in your smoking behaviour could have a massive impact on your child’s health for the better!
For more information on Smoke Free Kids, contact Joy James on (01782) 400508 or email joy.james@northstaffs.nhs.uk
What else can I do to protect my child from second hand smoke?
There are a number of things you can do to protect your child from second hand smoke, including:
- Asking visitors not to smoke in your home
- If you have a child minder/baby sitter make sure they do not smoke around your child
- Ask other people that your child spends time with e.g. grandparents, family friends, etc, to not smoke around your them as it could make them ill
- When you’re out and about e.g. visiting restaurants, pubs, etc – try to choose a smoke free venue or at least use a smoke free area if they’ve got one.
