Medication or alcohol

Did you know that one in every three people who die in house fires has been drinking?

• alcohol is a strong drug and can affect your judgement, make you forgetful and often sleepy, particularly if you're tired anyway.
• if your smoke alarm goes off while you're asleep, it may take you longer to wake up and react because of the alcohol. Combine this with the fact that you may only have three breaths to get out, and you will be even more vulnerable.
• often fires start when people leave cigarettes burning, or forget that they have started cooking something and get distracted. whether you've been drinking or not, our advice is never leave cooking unattended - stand by your pan!
• of course, medicines are drugs too, and create a similar risk. Take extra care if you're on strong medication and make sure the people you live with know what you're taking.