Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

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Smoking

If you're a smoker or you have a smoker living in your house, make sure you follow our advice to stay safe at home.

  • Make sure your all cigarettes are fully extinguished.
  • Take extra care when you’re tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning.
  • Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don’t light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire.
  • Never leave lit cigarettes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
  • Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn. Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
  • Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish – and don’t let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray.
  • Use child safe matches and cigarette lighters and keep them safely out of the reach of children
  • Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.

E-cigarettes

  • Never leave e-cigarettes on charge unattended for long periods
  • Do not mix components of different e-cigarettes
  • Only use the charger supplied
  • Ensure you purchase your e-cigarette from a reputable source
  • Check the e-cigarette carries CE certification
  • Test your smoke alarm regularly
  • Contact Trading Standards over any e-cigarette safety concerns
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