Since the beginning of the year, over 750 fires have occurred due to careless handling of fire while smoking, resulting in 225 fatalities. A carelessly discarded, unextinguished cigarette often leads to irreparable consequences.
Since the beginning of the year, over 750 fires have occurred due to careless handling of fire while smoking, resulting in 225 fatalities. A carelessly discarded, unextinguished cigarette often leads to irreparable consequences. Many consider this a trivial matter not worthy of attention. And perhaps, not everyone is able to perceive the enormous problem. For not everyone, the examples in the reports of the Ministry of Emergency Situations serve as a warning of danger. Moreover, in almost all cases of human fatalities, the tragedy could have been avoided if people had understood that they were creating the tragedy with their own hands. Until everyone realizes the full seriousness and depth of the problem, the outcome will remain tragically predictable and inevitable.
Rescuers are constantly seeking new creative forms of working with the public to ensure citizens understand the importance of adhering to safety regulations, as this lays the foundation for a culture of life safety. "Don't wait for a squirrel – put out your cigarette butt!" – billboards with this slogan appeared on the streets of Belarusian cities this autumn. This is a social initiative by the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) aimed at motivating tobacco consumers to extinguish their cigarette butts in all possible smoking areas: apartments, balconies, nature, etc. Reminders about the necessity of observing safety rules while smoking will not be limited to billboards. Thematic audio clips will also urge careless citizens to extinguish their cigarette butts, and in video clips, people will see an entire "squirrel squad" successfully tackling this problem, setting an example for people in observing smoking safety rules. Presentation events for the new information and outreach campaign will be held in major shopping centers of regional cities, as well as in shops in district towns (in rural areas). Follow the progress of the campaign on the MES website, as well as in the media. https://mchs.gov.by/
