Second-hand smoke is breathed from other people’s tobacco smoke, which is harmful for those in your household. So much so that people exposed to second-hand smoke can face the same dangers as people who smoke themselves.

With Lanarkshire being placed under Covid restrictions, and we all spend more time at home, it’s important to be mindful you may be exposing others in your household to more second-hand smoke than usual, which can be harmful.

There are small steps you can take to reduce harm from exposure to second-hand smoke:

• Smoke outside or in the garden
• If this isn’t possible, smoke in one room or open a window for as long as possible
• You could also consider Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as gum, patches or lozenges

For more information on these steps visit Take it right outside

Although the smoke you can see disappears quickly, the particles are so small that 85% of them are invisible and odourless. The levels of invisible but harmful toxins in the air can be high, up to 5 hours afterward.

Karen Mather, Tobacco Control Team Lead, NHS Lanarkshire said: “Second-hand smoke is bad for everyone’s health, even pets, but it is more dangerous to babies, children and pregnant women. Encouraging a smoke-free environment for children and families can help protect them from inhaling the same toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke.

“As people spend more time at home, we wanted to remind those who smoke of the small steps that can be taken to help reduce the effects.

“At NHS Lanarkshire we are continuing to offer free support to residents looking for advice and support to stop smoking, through our Quit Your Way service.”

Quit Your Way can be contacted Monday – Friday from 9am until 5pm.

To find out about Quit Your Way services and to access the best support to quit in your area, call the Quit Your Way helpline service on 0800 84 84 84 or visit QuitYourWay.scot. You can also visit your local Community Pharmacy for FREE stop smoking support.