Do not wait for a squirrel – extinguish your cigarette butt!

A carelessly discarded, unextinguished cigarette often leads to irreparable consequences. Many consider it a trivial matter, unworthy of attention. And perhaps, not everyone is able to recognise the immense problem. For some, examples from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) reports do not serve as a warning of danger. Moreover, in almost all cases of fatalities, the tragedy could have been avoided if people had understood that they were creating the disaster with their own hands. Until everyone realises the full seriousness and depth of the problem, the outcome will remain tragically predictable and inevitable.

A carelessly discarded, unextinguished cigarette often leads to irreparable consequences. Many consider it a trivial matter, unworthy of attention. And perhaps, not everyone is able to recognise the immense problem. For some, examples from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) reports do not serve as a warning of danger. Moreover, in almost all cases of fatalities, the tragedy could have been avoided if people had understood that they were creating the disaster with their own hands. Until everyone realises the full seriousness and depth of the problem, the outcome will remain tragically predictable and inevitable.

Rescuers are constantly seeking new creative ways to engage with the public to ensure citizens understand the importance of adhering to safety regulations, as this forms the foundation of a safety culture for life activities. "Don't wait for a squirrel – put out your butt!" - billboards with this slogan have appeared on the streets of Belarusian cities. This is a social initiative by the MES, designed to motivate tobacco consumers to extinguish their cigarette butts in all possible smoking areas: apartments, balconies, nature, etc. It is not only billboards that will remind people of the need to observe safety rules when smoking. Themed 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 adhering to the rules.

safety in smoking. Presentation events of the new information and propaganda campaign will be held both in large shopping centers of regional cities and in shops of district towns (in rural areas). Follow the progress of the campaign on the website of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as in the media.