Homes and Cars

Tips for Making your Home and Car Smoke-Free

• Don't allow smoking in your home or car. Politely ask people to smoke outside, even house guests. Some people use smoke-free home and car signs to help send this message to guests.
• Make it clear that keeping your home and car smoke-free is to protect others in the home, not to punish someone who smokes.
• Be firm about a smoke-free home, but friendly about accommodating people's need to smoke somewhere. You can even offer gum or mints as an alternative to smoking.
• Make the smoking area as comfortable as possible. In the summer, it could be a spot near a garden or a spot on the porch with a comfortable chair. A portable heater may help in colder weather.
• Do not allow baby-sitters or other people who work in your home to smoke in the house. Also, do not let these people smoke in the car around your children.
• If family members want to quit, be patient and supportive. Quitting smoking is a hard job, and they will need a lot of support. If they want help, they can call the National Cancer Institute's quit line at 877-44-UQUIT or visit their web site at www.smokefree.gov.

Benefits of a Smoke-Free Home

The greatest benefit, of course, is that you will remove all the health risks associated with secondhand tobacco smoke. Plus:

1. When your home is smoke-free, it will smell much better.
2. Your food will taste better.
3. You'll spend less time, energy, and money cleaning your curtains, walls, windows and mirrors.
4. You won't have to worry about potential burns in your favorite furniture or carpet.
5. Your insurance rates may be lower--check with your insurance company.
6. Even your pets will be happier. For example, secondhand smoke increases the risk of cancer in dogs.