Smoking ban to trigger rise in house fires

Published 28th Jun 2007

Over 900,000 households will be at risk of fire following the public smoking ban, as smokers stay at home to indulge their habit.

New research from Direct Line Home Insurance reveals that one in 10 smokers 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 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, asking guests to smoke outside, and not smoking late in the evening when the risk of fires in 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. One in 10 home smokers do not have alarms fitted, and of those that do only 17 per cent properly maintain them by checking them weekly.

Andrew Lowe, Direct Line’s head of Home Insurance, said: “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.”
By Jennifer Lowe

Source: ' Personal Finance & Savings '

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