AN anti-smoking campaign supported by NHS Warrington was featured on ITV soap Coronation Street.

Pregnant Tracy Barlow told mum Deirdre to ‘Take 7 Steps Out’ during an episode last week after seeing her smoking at the back door.

This came after PCT-funded Smokefree North West discovered that many parents thought smoking near an open door was enough to protect their children or unborn babies.

The subsequent message was that if a pregnant woman or children are nearby, people need to go outside and smoke at least seven steps away from the house.

Dr Rita Robertson, director of public health in Warrington, said: “Parents and other family members may not know that standing by an open window or door is simply not enough to protect their children.

“This new campaign will help highlight the dangers and show that there is a way to prevent harm. Go right outside the house to help protect children from second hand smoke.”

Pregnant women who are exposed to second hand smoke are more likely to miscarry and the risk of cot death is significantly increased.

A spokesman for Smokefree said: “Most of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes are invisible and in the early stages of pregnancy, when the unborn child is less visible too, it can be easy to forget how harmful smoke is.

“It is important that no one smokes around the pregnant woman at any stage in her pregnancy as well as for the pregnant woman not to smoke herself.”

Pregnant women, their partners, families and friends can get free advice about quitting from their nearest NHS stop smoking service by calling 0800 169 9 169 or visiting smokefree.nhs.uk/smoking-and-pregnancy.

For more information about the campaign go to take7stepsout.co.uk.