Keeping Your Promise

The minute you ban or limit tobacco smoke in your home, the benefits to you and your family’s health begin immediately.

Talk to other people living in the house about why you want to have smoking restrictions in your home. Tell them that tobacco smoke is harmful to your children’s health.
If your home is totally smoke-free, display a smoke free home sticker on your door to let visitors know that smoking is banned in your home.
If you cannot agree on the Gold Promise (a totally smoke-free house) then decide on either the Silver or Bronze Promise.
If you decide on the Silver or Bronze Promise, display the smoke-free sticker in your sitting room or kitchen so that visitors know the area is smoke free.
If you live with a smoker, be sympathetic of their desire to smoke but be firm about your children’s right to live in a smoke free home.
Inform visitors who come to your house frequently of the promise you have made. Let them know you’re not rejecting their friendship but only the harmful effects that tobacco smoke has on your children’s health.
If you smoke yourself, take your children for a walk or have them play outdoors if they are too young to be left alone while you smoke outside make sure your children are safe when you smoke outside.
Put an ashtray near the outside door so that smokers can pick it up when they are going outside to smoke.

Make sure that the ‘smoking’ room has a window or an outside door, which can be opened. Keep the door leading to the rest of the house closed when people are smoking in the room.
Clean the room where smoking is allowed frequently, e.g. empty ashtrays, wash floors or vacuum carpets.

Ban smoking in the family car, or any car your child rides in.
Choose smoke free public places.
Ask baby sitters not to smoke around your children.
When you visit other people who smoke, ask them not to smoke when your children are in the same room.