To mark this year’s World Tobacco Day, local authorities and NHS trusts in England – as well as individuals in Guernsey – have stepped up their smokefree activities.
In Cornwall, Bodmin’s Fair Park is going smokefree and celebrated the news with a free family fun day.
The event featured a smoking-cessation adviser and a Trading Standards illegal tobacco awareness stand, along with fun activities to keep kids occupied.
Steve Brown, Cornwall Council’s Interim Deputy Director of Public Health said in a press release:
“A smoke free play park helps people live active, healthy lifestyles.
“Children learn their behaviour from adults, so it’s essential that tobacco use is not seen as part of everyday life. We want to discourage smoking around children in our play areas, helping to reduce the number of young people who smoke and reduce litter in the park.”
Up north, hospitals in Doncaster have implemented their smokefree policy from today, with smoking now strictly prohibited anywhere on the grounds of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals.
Anyone seen smoking on site will be ‘challenged by hospital staff and the security team,’ according to the Doncaster Free Press, and smoking patients admitted to the hospitals will be offered nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
Cindy Storer, acting deputy director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at the Trust, told the Doncaster Free Press:
“This is more than just having a smokefree site. For the first time we will see a cultural shift in the hospital‘s role in proactively supporting patients to quit smoking.”
On the Channel Islands, a team of volunteers have been on a mission to pick up 60,000 cigarette butts, with the team planning to work through the weekend to hit their target.
Once collected, the mass of cigarette litter will be shipped to the UK for specialist recycling, ITV reports.
Organiser Andrew Munro told ITV:
“I am excited to say that plans are progressing well and I am hopeful that our efforts will add up to something which can create a real impact and impetus for change both in our Bailiwick and in the wider environment beyond our shores.”
