GMFRS-43-358

GMFRS-43-358

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Policy Template (Draft) July 2012

Smoking Related Fires and Tobacco Control

Prevention and Protection

Guidance

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Contents

Contents ..................................................................................................................... 2

Document Details ....................................................................................................... 3

Document Version Control ...................................................................................... 3

Approval Process .................................................................................................... 3

Consultation & Engagement .................................................................................. 3

Related Documents ................................................................................................ 3

Guidance Statement ................................................................................................... 4

Scope ...................................................................................................................... 4

Definitions ............................................................................................................... 4

Introduction ................................................................................................................. 5

Smoking and Fire .................................................................................................... 5

Smoking and Health ................................................................................................ 6

Guidance .................................................................................................................... 7

Fire Prevention Guidance ....................................................................................... 7

Fire Safety Advice ............................................................................................... 7

Taking a Person-Centred Approach .................................................................... 8

Supporting People to Stop Smoking .................................................................... 9

Supporting People to have a Smokefree Home ................................................ 10

Tobacco Control .................................................................................................... 11

What is Tobacco Control? ................................................................................. 11

Why is GMFRS involved in Tobacco Control? ................................................... 11

What are Tobacco Alliances? ............................................................................ 12

The Role of GMFRS in Tobacco Control and Tobacco Alliances ...................... 12

Appendix A ............................................................................................................... 14

Shisha ................................................................................................................... 14

Appendix B ............................................................................................................... 16

Tobacco Alliances – The GMFRS ‘Ask and Offer’ ................................................ 16

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Document Details

If this Guidance requires updating or editing please contact the Author.

Document Version Control

Document

Version Date Author

2.0 19/02/2018 Sarah Hardman

Approval Process

Approval agency Leadership Team

Guidance Owner Head of Prevention (Paul Etches)

Consultation & Engagement

Involved Consulted

Sarah Hardman

(Substance Use

Coordinator)

• Phil Greenwood (Home Safety Coordinator)

• Community Safety Managers

• Ged Devereux (Public Health Practitioner)

• Fire Investigation Officers

• Geoff Pridmore and Pete Buckley (Protection)

• Tasneem Choudhri / Caroline Haltom (PHE Northwest)

• Martyn Willmore (Tobacco Control, Manager PHE)

Related Documents

Policy & Procedure • GMFRS Safe and Well Policy and Procedure

Guidance

• GMFRS Electronic Cigarettes, November 2017

• GMFRS data analysis: Smoking Related Dwelling Fires, 2016/17 Overview, Corporate Planning and Intelligence

External

• Towards a Smokefree Generation; Tobacco Control Plan for England,

Department of Health, July 2017

• Making Smoking History, Tobacco Free Greater Manchester Strategy

2017-2021

• Smoking Statistics, Action on Smoking and Health, March 2017

• Tobacco alliances FAQ: Fire Services, Action on Smoking and Health

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Guidance Statement

This guidance supports Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) to

reduce the risk of smoking related fires, injuries and deaths, and to work

collaboratively with partners and Tobacco Alliances, across Greater Manchester, in

the field of ‘tobacco control’.

Scope

GMFRS personnel who deliver advice or interventions relating to smoking, including

during the delivery of Safe and Well visits, should follow this guidance. GMFRS

personnel who develop approaches to reduce smoking related fires or those who are

involved in tobacco control should also follow this guidance. This document does not

cover electronic cigarettes as these are not ‘smoked’ and are covered by separate

GMFRS guidance. Information relating to Shisha is provided in Appendix A.

Definitions

Smoking Materials: Items that can be smoked; cigarettes, cigars, pipes, tobacco.

Smoking Related Fire: A fire where the ignition source is a cigarette lighter or

smoking materials, such as cigarettes, cigars, pipes or tobacco.1

Safe and Well Visit: A home visit by the Fire and Rescue Service, during which

personnel give fire safety advice which takes into account the person, their

environment and their behaviours. This provides opportunity to identify risk and

provide or signpost people to advice on other issues, including health, wellbeing and

crime prevention, while passing on referrals where a specialist approach is needed.

Tobacco Control: A co-ordinated, comprehensive approach to reduce smoking

prevalence and the harm caused by tobacco.

Tobacco (Control) Alliance: A local partnership, often within Local Authority

boundaries, of organisations with an interest in working together to effectively reduce

smoking rates and tackle health inequalities.

Very Brief Advice: 2A short intervention (usually from 30 seconds to 3 minutes long)

delivered opportunistically in relation to a client’s readiness to seek support. It can be

used to raise awareness of, and assess a person’s willingness to engage in further

discussion about healthy lifestyle issues. It is less in depth and more informal than a

brief intervention and usually involves giving information about the importance of

behaviour change, simple advice to support behaviour change and referral into

specialist support where available.

1As defined in IRS Help and Guidance, DCLG, March 2012. Fires started with matches are not included in the definition, as they are classified separately in IRS guidance. 2 (Powell,K and Thurston,M. (2008) “Commissioning training for behaviour change interventions. Guidelines for Best Practice.)

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Introduction

Smoking and Fire

1. Smoking related fires are caused by cigarette lighters or smoking materials.

The ignition source of these fires is the flame of the lighter or the burning end

of the cigarette, cigar or pipe. Fires started by matches are not recorded as

‘smoking related’. However, fire safety advice and interventions for smokers

should include the risks associated with matches because they are commonly

used to light smoking materials.

2. The burning end of a cigarette can reach temperatures of up to 900°C

(1650°F) when the smoker draws on the cigarette and up to 775°C (1427°F)

after the draw has stopped. However, high temperatures alone are not enough

to start a fire. As with any fire, the ignition source needs to come into contact

with combustible fuel, such as fabrics or furnishings, and oxygen (which is

present in air) for a fire to occur.

3. Between 2014/15 and 2016/17, there were 7007 primary dwelling fires

recorded by GMFRS. Of these, 506 were smoking related, the majority of

which were caused by careless disposal of smoking materials. The second

most common cause was careless handling due to sleep or unconsciousness.

4. Although the number of smoking related fire incidents is significant in itself,

even more significant for GMFRS is the implication in terms of fatalities.

During the three year period under consideration, 22 of the 44 people who lost

their lives in primary dwelling fires, died in smoking related fires, making

smoking the top cause of fire deaths. In financial terms, the cost of smoking

related fire deaths during the period was £36.5 million.3

5. In light of the above, reducing the risk of smoking related fires and deaths is a

priority for GMFRS. Much work has been undertaken; smoking related fire

safety advice has long been delivered in education packages to schools and

communities, and during thousands of home visits.

6. In addition, in November 2011 it became a legal requirement that all cigarettes

sold in the UK and European Union must be Reduced Intensity Propensity

(RIP) or ‘Fire Safer’ cigarettes. A change in design (two narrow bands of

slightly thicker paper), means that RIP cigarettes can reduce the likelihood of

unattended cigarettes continuing to burn, thus reducing the risk of fire.

3 Based on the value of a life (£1.66 million) calculated in the GMFRS 2015/16 Cost Benefit Analysis

Review.

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7. In recent years, GMFRS has focused on working with partners, such as Stop

Smoking Services, in order to target smokers with fire safety advice. This

approach provides us with the opportunity to support the public health agenda

by encouraging people to quit smoking or have a smokefree home.

Smoking and Health4

8. Smoking is the primary cause of preventable deaths and one of the largest

causes of health inequalities in England. Smoking causes around 79,000

preventable deaths per year; more than obesity, alcohol, illegal drugs, road

traffic collisions and HIV infection combined.

9. Smoking causes a number of different types of cancers including lung, mouth,

throat, liver and stomach cancer. It causes respiratory disease and heart

disease. It increases problems such as asthma, especially in teenagers.

Smokers are more likely to develop wrinkles and have dental hygiene

problems, and smoking can affect sense of taste and smell.

10. It is estimated that, in England, smoking costs the economy in excess of £11

billion per year, £2.5 billion of which fell to the NHS in 2015.

11. Despite the daunting figures above, smoking rates have actually reduced

significantly. In Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for

England 2010-2015, the government set out a plan for tackling tobacco from

2011 to 2015. The plan aimed to reduce smoking prevalence among adults

from 21.2% to 18.5%. Now, in 2017, smoking prevalence amongst adults in

England has reduced to 15.5%.

12. In July 2017 the government launched its new and current plan, Towards a

Smokefree Generation, A Tobacco Control Plan for England. The plan

acknowledges the great strides that have been made in reducing smoking

rates amongst all target groups but also states that there are still 7.3 million

smokers. Smoking rates have remained stubbornly higher amongst those

groups in our communities who already suffer with poor health and other

disadvantages and over 200 deaths a day are still caused by smoking.

13. Smoking was banned, by law, in nearly all enclosed workplaces and public

spaces in 2007. Most forms of tobacco advertising have been banned since

2003, and eye-catching point of sale displays were banned from supermarkets

in April 2012 and from smaller shops in 2015.

14. In Greater Manchester (GM), 18.4% of adults smoke in comparison to the

England average of approximately 15.5%. The GM Health and Social Care

Partnership has developed a tobacco control plan for the region which aims to

4 Information in sections 8-12 is taken from ‘Towards a Smokefree Generation, A Tobacco Control Plan for England’ Department of health, July 2017

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reduce adult smoking rates by a third, to 13% in 2020. The plan, Making

Smoking History, A Tobacco Free Greater Manchester, 2017-21, recognises

that smoking is the biggest single driver of health inequalities and

disproportionately affects poorer communities.

Guidance

Fire Prevention Guidance

15. The best way for a smoker to reduce their risk of having a smoking related fire

in the home is to stop smoking.

16. Another effective way for a smoker to reduce their risk of having a smoking

related fire in the home is to have a smokefree home. That is, choosing to

smoke outside and ensuring that nobody else smokes inside the property.

17. When delivering fire safety advice or interventions to people who smoke, and

in particular during Safe and Well visits, GMFRS personnel should explore the

above options of quitting smoking, or having a smokefree home, with them.

18. Regardless of whether or not a smoker agrees to a quit attempt, or to have a

smokefree home, GMFRS personnel should ensure that the assessment of

fire risk in the home, and the actions, advice and equipment provided to

mitigate that risk, take into account the potential risks associated with an

individual’s smoking habits.

19. The fire safety advice below should be delivered to people who smoke.

Fire Safety Advice

o Stub your smoking material out properly – Put it out, put it right out

o Don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily fall

over and start a fire

o Use a proper heavy wide-bottomed ashtray, never a wastepaper basket

o Make sure your ashtray won’t tip over and is made of material that won’t

burn

o Keep a small amount of water in the bottom of your ashtray to help to

make sure your smoking materials have definitely been extinguished when

you stub them out

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o Dispose of your smoking materials carefully

o Ensure that contents of ashtrays are cold before they are emptied into a

suitable bin outdoors. Putting water on ashes or butts is a good idea

o Take care if you smoke when you’re tired as it’s easy to fall asleep with a

cigarette burning and set furniture, clothes or bedding alight

o NEVER smoke in bed

o Don’t smoke if you’ve taken medication, drugs or alcohol that makes you

tired or drowsy. If you do smoke in this situation, take extra care or smoke

outdoors

o Never smoke illegally manufactured cigarettes

o Never smoke, or let someone else smoke in the same room as you, when

oxygen equipment or an air flow pressure relief mattress is being used

o Don’t smoke if you, or anyone near you, are using paraffin-based emollient

creams in contact with skin, clothes, dressing or bandages. If you use

paraffin-based emollient creams, ask for non-flammable alternatives

o Always keep matches and lighters away from children

o Buy child resistant lighters and matchboxes

o Fit a minimum of 1 smoke alarm on every floor of your home and test

alarms weekly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get

out, stay out and call 999.

Taking a Person-Centred Approach

20. Remember that not all smokers may be willing or able to understand,

remember and follow the fire safety advice in the section above.

21. These may include people living with dementia or memory impairment, people

whose dexterity is impaired making it difficult for them to grip or stub out their

smoking materials, people who drink alcohol or use drugs or medicines that

impair their cognitive functioning, people who smoke in bed and are unable or

unwilling to change that behaviour, people who are unable to test or respond

to a smoke alarm and people whose mobility would prevent or limit their

chances of escape in an emergency.

22. In such cases, GMFRS personnel should explore solutions with the individual

to meet their unique needs. Options could include agreeing a set of ‘rules’ with

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the smoker to help them manage their smoking habits more safely; for

example, only smoking outdoors or only smoking when others are available to

stub out smoking materials properly. Careful consideration should also be

given to risk reduction equipment such as fitting additional smoke alarms in

rooms where the person usually smokes, interlinked smoke alarms, tele care5

or provision of fire retardant bedding or throws. It may be necessary to involve

partner organisations in order to find or fund solutions.

23. Separate GMFRS guidance is available to support GMFRS personnel to

deliver Safe and Well visits and fire safety advice to home oxygen users and

to people who use dynamic airflow pressure relieving mattresses. Both pieces

of guidance factor in risks relating to smoking.

Supporting People to Stop Smoking

24. Surveys show that the majority of current smokers would like to stop smoking

but only 30-40% make a quit attempt6 in any given year. The fire prevention

work that GMFRS delivers already requires us to talk to people about fire-safe

smoking habits. This provides an opportunity to deliver ‘very brief advice’ to

smokers as an effective way to help people to think about quitting or making

changes that will improve their health.

25. A helpful way to approach brief advice is to break it down into 3 simple steps;

Ask, Advise, Act. This approach is evidence based.

26. Step one is to ask the person about their current smoking status.

27. Step two is to advise the person by telling them that evidence shows that the

best way to stop smoking is through a combination of medication and support,

both of which are available on the NHS. (Use this link for NHS information

about medication and support)

28. Step three is to act. This means offering help by referring the person to

services that can help, or providing them with information to enable them to

access those services. If a smoker doesn’t want to quit, let them know that the

help will still be there in the future should they decide they need it.

29. The Ask, Advise, Act framework should be used during Safe and Well visits

using the questions on the Safe and Well form to facilitate the delivery of brief

advice.

30. Staff already ask the question ‘Do you or anybody else in the household

smoke?’, or paraphrase this if they prefer. If the answer is ‘yes’ then a number

5 Tele care is the provision of electronic equipment in the home, such as pendants, which provide an alert to a call centre, either automatically or via a manual activation, if help is needed. 6 Smoking Statistics, March 2017, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Facts at a Glance

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of questions follow to help to assess any associated fire risk, and these also

provide the opportunity to advise.

31. As well as providing fire safety advice, staff should advise the person that the

best way to stop smoking is through a combination of medication and support,

both of which are available on the NHS.

32. The final question in the smoking section on the Safe and Well form is, ‘Would

you like any support or information about stopping smoking?’ This provides

the opportunity to act by referring the person to services that can help (with

their consent), or providing them with information to enable them to access

those services. If a smoker doesn’t want to quit, staff should let them know

that the help will still be there in the future should they decide they need it.

33. Support to help people stop smoking is available from General Practitioners

(GPs), Stop Smoking Services, pharmacies and other local services, some of

which can be found in the Smoking section of the Safe and Well Service

Directories.

34. Alternatively, online support and information is available on the NHS

smokefree website at www.nhs.uk/smokefree or on the Smokefree National

telephone helpline on 0300 123 1044.

Supporting People to have a Smokefree Home

35. GMFRS personnel should explore the option of having a smokefree home (a

home in which nobody smokes) with all smokers during Safe and Well visits.

36. A smokefree home removes/reduces the risk of having a smoking related fire

in the home.

37. A ‘smokefree’ home will provide a healthier living environment for occupiers,

children and visitors, by reducing their exposure to secondhand smoke which

is produced every time a smoker lights up.

38. Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled, plus the smoke created by the lit

end of a cigarette. It contains more than 4,000 chemicals including Arsenic,

Benzene, which is found in petrol fumes, and Cyanide, which is poisonous and

an industrial pollutant. It contains 50 known carcinogens - they're the ones that

can cause cancer.

39. People who breathe in secondhand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as

smokers, including cancer and heart disease. Children are especially

vulnerable as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune

systems. Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are more at risk of cot death.

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40. GMFRS personnel should use the Ask, Advise, Act framework, described in

the previous section, to encourage and support people in the community to

have a smokefree home.

41. During a Safe and Well visit, staff already ask the question on the Safe and

Well form. ‘Do you or anybody else in the household smoke in the home?’, or

paraphrase this if they prefer. This will provide the opportunity to advise the

person about the fire safety advantages of having a smokefree home, but also

about the advantages of a healthier living environment free of the dangers

outlined in paragraphs 37-39 above.

42. If the person wishes to have smokefree home, GMFRS personnel should act

on this and provide information to assist them, such as advising them to

smoke outside at least seven steps from doors and windows.

43. Information about going smokefree is available on the NHS smokefree website

at www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/secondhand-smoke

Tobacco Control

What is Tobacco Control?

44. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a public health charity that works to

eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. ASH describes Tobacco Control as ‘a

co-ordinated, comprehensive approach to reduce smoking prevalence.’

45. The current government tobacco control plan, Towards a Smokefree

Generation, A Tobacco Control Plan for England, describes four key themes

that underpin the implementation of the plan. These are;

• Prevention first

• Supporting smokers to quit

• Eliminating variations in smoking rates

• Effective Enforcement

46. Greater Manchester’s tobacco control plan Making Smoking History – A

Tobacco Free Greater Manchester 2017-2021, is based on seven key

components, and associated actions, to reduce smoking prevalence amongst

adults from 18.4% to 13% (as previously discussed in paragraph 14 above).

Why is GMFRS involved in Tobacco Control?

47. It makes sense for GMFRS to be involved in tobacco control; reducing

smoking prevalence not only improves public health but, in theory, fewer

smokers should result in fewer opportunities for smoking related fires.

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48. Subsequently GMFRS will support the delivery of the GM tobacco control plan

and must be represented at appropriate multi-agency meetings in order to play

a part in tobacco control and ensure that smoking related fires are recognised

as a smoking related harm.

49. GMFRS is a member of the Making smoking history in GM Partnership and

should be represented at Station Manager (or equivalent) level or above.

What are Tobacco Alliances?

50. ASH describes Tobacco Alliances as ‘local partnerships within local authority

boundaries working together to effectively reduce smoking rates and tackle

health inequalities.’

51. Alliances are typically made up of interested parties and decision makers from

the local authority, environmental health, public health, NHS commissioners

and providers, trading standards, children’s services, locally elected members,

Stop Smoking Services, local voluntary organisations and Fire and Rescue

Services. It is important that the local Director of Public Health is engaged with

the work their Alliance undertakes. In some cases the Director of Public Health

is a member of, or Chair of, the Alliance.

52. Alliances generally develop and oversee the implementation of a Tobacco

Control plan for their area.

The Role of GMFRS in Tobacco Control and Tobacco Alliances

53. The ASH document ‘Tobacco Alliance FAQ: Fire Services’, outlines the role

that Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) can play in tobacco control and the

benefits to FRS of being members of local ‘Tobacco Alliances’. The document

is available on the ASH website www.ash.org.uk and is linked here.

54. There are Tobacco Alliances in some of the 10 boroughs of Greater

Manchester. At time of writing, Alliances were active in Manchester, Stockport,

Tameside, Rochdale and Trafford.

55. GMFRS should be represented at each Tobacco Alliance by an appropriate

member of staff. At borough level this should be a member of the

Area/Borough Management Team (Community Safety Manager / Station

Manager or above).

56. GMFRS representatives should utilise their Tobacco Alliance to identify and

implement work to reduce smoking prevalence, reduce the impact of smoking

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on health and wellbeing, and reduce smoking related fires. A GMFRS ‘Ask

and Offer’ has been provided in Appendix B to support our involvement.

57. The ‘Ask and Offer’ should be used to communicate to Tobacco Alliances

what GMFRS can contribute to their Tobacco Control plans and what we

would like to gain as a partner within the Tobacco Alliance.

58. The ‘Ask and Offer’ should be regarded as a starting point. It may need

amending by the borough management team in order to respond effectively to

local needs and in line with local capacity to deliver against it.

59. Our partnership work to reduce smoking related fires and tackle smoking

should not be limited to the work we undertake as part of the Tobacco

Alliances. Indeed, in boroughs where there is no Alliance GMFRS should and

must continue to work with key partners such as Stop Smoking services,

public health services, GPs and pharmacies to identify and implement actions

and initiatives that will reduce risk.

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Appendix A

Shisha

A Shisha pipe, also known as a waterpipe, hookah, narghile or hubble-bubble pipe, is

a pipe used to smoke a number of substances. In the UK these are commonly:

• tobacco containing nicotine (flavoured with fruits or sugar syrup)

• herbal mixtures (which do not contain tobacco or nicotine)

Shisha pipes generally consist of a head, body, water bowl and a hose. The tobacco

or herbal mixture is placed on top of the head and covered with perforated aluminum

foil. Burning charcoal is then placed onto the foil.

When a smoker breathes in through the hose, a mixture of charcoal and tobacco

smoke pass through the shisha pipe and eventually into the mouth of the smoker.

Research carried out into the health harms caused by smoking shisha pipes is not as

extensive as that carried out into the health harms caused by smoking cigarettes or

other smoking materials. However the research that has been carried out to date

does suggest that Shisha smokers are exposed to many of the same risks that

cigarette smokers are exposed to, (as well as some other unique risks). This is

because Shisha smoking produces significant levels of tar, nicotine, carbon

monoxide and various carcinogens.

One belief amongst some Shisha smokers is that smoking the herbal mixtures is not

as harmful as smoking the tobacco mixtures. However, evidence has shown that the

burning of the charcoals produces the toxic chemicals Carbon Monoxide and

Benzine, and that herbal Shisha contains high amounts of toxins similar to those

found in tobacco products. In light of this, both herbal and tobacco shisha smoking

are believed to be similarly hazardous to health.

Shisha Bars

Increased use of Shisha in the UK has led to a rise in the numbers of ‘Shisha bars’ in

some areas. Shisha bars are establishments where patrons share Shisha from a

communal pipe which is placed at each table. They also sell refreshments and in

some cases alcohol.

The smoking of tobacco and herbal shisha has been prohibited in enclosed public

spaces in the UK, since 2007, under the smokefree legislation that applies to all

tobacco products. Enforcement of the legislation is not without its challenges and

there have been cases of non-compliance in Shisha bars. There is also evidence

which highlights comparatively high instances of non-compliance with fire safety

regulation.

Shisha and Fire Prevention Advice

Because smoking Shisha involves the use of burning charcoal, there is an associated

fire risk. The fire safety advice below must be delivered to people who smoke shisha;

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• Ensure that the area is well ventilated. Burning coals and shisha produce

toxins including carbon monoxide

• Do not leave burning coals unattended

• Place equipment on a stable surface

• Ensure that coals and smoking materials are carefully extinguished after use;

use water to ensure coals are fully extinguished

• Dispose of coals and smoking materials carefully and into a suitable container

such as a metal bin

• Keep shisha pipes, mixtures and coals away from children

• Fit a smoke alarm and test it weekly. A working smoke alarm can buy you

valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.

Note: In Shisha bars, It is recommended that the burning of coals to prepare

them for use in Shisha pipes, should only be carried out using apparatus

designed to bring the temperature to a level that permits the use of the coals

for use in the Shisha process. Typically this would be a charcoal grill or similar

type equipment. This should be done in a kitchen type environment with good

ventilation and smoke extraction.

For further information about Shisha, see the links below.

ASH factsheet - Shisha

British Heart Foundation - Shisha

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Appendix B

Tobacco Alliances – The GMFRS ‘Ask and Offer’

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is committed to working

within Tobacco (Control) Alliances across GM in order to reduce fire incidents,

injuries and deaths, reduce smoking prevalence and improve public health. To clarify

our role within Tobacco Alliances we have provided our ‘Ask and Offer’ below.

The ‘Ask’

We ask the Tobacco Alliance to:

• Provide us with information and statistics relating to tobacco control and smoking

prevalence

• Include the reduction of smoking-related fire incidents, injuries and deaths as an

objective within the tobacco control plan

• Share expertise to support us to develop policies, procedures and guidance

relating to smoking and tobacco control

• Encourage partners within the alliance to systematically refer people who smoke

to us (with their consent) for a Safe and Well visit, and to inform us promptly

about high risk cases e.g. people who have had a near miss or are smoking whilst

using medical oxygen

• Help us to provide training and support to our staff that will improve their ability to:

o encourage people to have smokefree homes

o deliver brief advice to smokers during our Safe and Well visits

o Refer and signpost smokers to services that can support them to quit

o Identify / report illicit tobacco sales and support the public to do the same.

• Provide us with literature relating to smoking cessation, smokefree homes and

health improvement, to distribute to the public

• Support us to develop/deliver educational inputs about the risks associated with

smoking, in our youth engagement programmes

• Work with us to facilitate effective information sharing to improve the health and

safety of communities and individuals.

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The ‘Offer’

GMFRS will:

• Provide the Tobacco Alliance with information and statistics relating to smoking

related fire incidents, injuries and deaths

• Lead on the reduction of smoking-related fire incidents, injuries and deaths as an

objective within the tobacco control plan

• Ensure that our policies, procedures and guidance relating to smoking and

tobacco control are informed by the recommendations of our partners

• Deliver Safe and Well visits to people in greater Manchester who smoke

• Train and support our staff to:

a) encourage people to have smokefree homes

b) deliver brief advice to smokers during our Safe and Well visits

c) Refer smokers to services that can support them to quit

d) identify/report illicit tobacco sales and support the public to do the same

• Provide fire safety literature to our partners for distribution to the public

• Develop/deliver educational inputs about the risks associated with smoking, in our

youth engagement programmes

• Support campaigns such as Stoptober and National No Smoking Day where

possible and appropriate

• Share assets such as our community rooms, community vehicles and volunteers

with our partners in the field of tobacco control, to support events and initiatives

that focus on tobacco control and improving public health

• Promote consistent enforcement in Shisha premises, and work with our partners

and the proprietors of Shisha establishments to promote fire safety messages

around the safe operation of Shisha establishments, in line with existing GMFRS

procedures.

• Work together to facilitate effective information sharing to improve the health and

safety of communities and individuals.