Look after your own health and those of your children on Father’s Day

While giving up smoking is a personal decision and one that only a smoker can make, life changes such as having a family can influence this. The Quit Squad are here to support you this Father’s Day (16 June) to give up, not only for yourself, but for your family.

Second hand smoke is dangerous for anyone exposed to it, but children are especially vulnerable as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune systems.

Tracy Sutton from the Quit Squad said,

“Father’s Day is a way of honouring the great contributions that fathers make to their families. It’s an emotional time when families bond. As a result, it is the ideal time for dads who smoke to realise the harms that second hand smoke does to children. Over 80 percent of second hand smoke is invisible and odourless; every time a child breathes in second hand smoke, they breathe in thousands of chemicals which put them at risk of serious health conditions, including meningitis, cancer, bronchitis and pneumonia. Babies exposed to second-hand smoke are also at risk of cot death.

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s harmless. People who breathe in second hand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as smokers, including cancer and heart disease. The best way to protect children is to give up smoking and make the Smoke Free Pledge. The Quit Squad is at hand to help with this and provide advice and support to people who want to take action to protect their children by stopping for good.

“We’re reminding people that smoking at home or in the car is harmful to children and they can take action to prevent this even if they are not ready to quit. Simple steps such as moving well away from homes and buildings to smoke protect children from second hand smoke.”

The Quit Squad can support smokers to give up and also encourages everyone to protect their families by making a Smoke Free Pledge to ensure their cars and homes are smoke free. The home is now the main source of exposure to second hand smoke for children.

In addition to drop-in clinics (for which no appointments are required) and one-to-one sessions, the Quit Squad offers group sessions in the community and operates in Central, North, East and West Lancashire. For further details, telephone 0800 3286297, visit www.quitsquad.nhs.uk, or follow the Quit Squad on Twitter @LancashireCare #QuitSquad.