Housing evidence / case study · working draft
Rotherham Smoke-Free Homes
Households received support to change smoking rules at home.
01 / THE APPROACH
What was tried
Rotherham Smoke-Free Homes encouraged households to change where people smoked, with community activity and links to fire-safety support. The initiative began in July 2009 and treated smoking at home as both a health and household-safety issue.
Residents signed up to the scheme and were later asked about their smoking rules. Researchers used survey responses and qualitative work to explore what encouraged change. Fire safety and keeping the home clean were among the reasons people gave for taking part.
02 / THE FINDINGS
What was learned
Of 620 households sent a survey, 289 responded four months after enrolment. Among respondents who had previously allowed smoking indoors, about 78% said their homes had become smoke free.
This suggests household concerns beyond quitting can motivate changes in smoking location. Many households did not respond, however, and the evaluation did not verify cessation. The result describes those answering the survey, not every household invited.
03 / TRANSFER TO WALES
What Wales could learn
Households were invited to change smoking rules, with community activity and fire-safety links. Follow-up asked whether the new rules were being kept.
Fire safety and a cleaner home mattered to participants as well as health. Missing survey replies mean the reported changes cannot be assumed to represent every household approached.
Sources & review
Allmark et al. Evaluation of the impact of a smoke-free home initiative in Rotherham. European Journal of Public Health 22(2):248–251. Public primary abstract checked 22 October 2026.
