No Smoking Pledge From Berkshire Parents

29 November 2011, 06:18 | Updated: 29 November 2011, 06:43

Heart's found out almost a hundred parents have promised to stop smoking near their children as part of a campaign to protect them from second-hand smoke.

Health managers visited Sure Start Children's Centres in West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham to talk to mums and dads during the 7 Steps out campaign.

32 centres were either visited or had leaflets sent to them asking parents to pledge to take seven steps out the house before lighting up.

The scheme highlights the amount of harmful chemicals given off by cigarettes and how long they stay in unventilated rooms.

Cigarette smoke can trigger asthma attacks and ear infections - which can lead to hearing loss.

Caroline Stevenson, from West Berkshire Council Trading Standards led the campaign. She has told Heart it's having a positive impact on the adults as well:

"A number of those parents are now going to the stop smoking service provision because they felt that they've reduced their smoking down to such an extent that they feel they are probably able now to give up smoking."

Ms Stevenson added a substantial number of hospital visits in West Berkshire alone could be avoided if parents and carers kept children away from second-hand smoke.