Smokefree Spring successfully launches across Sefton

Smokefree Spring launched on Sunday (March 27) at the first smokefree event, Santa’s Mystery Easter Egg Hunt in Southport. The event attracted great support for smokefree events to protect children, reaffirming the recent local survey which highlighted that 93% of people questioned in Sefton were supportive of smokefree outdoor events for children and families.

The campaign is a new initiative running across Sefton which will see a series of family-friendly events become smokefree to increase the number of healthy family events, and family-friendly public places. If you are looking to attend a smokefree event, the following events are smokefree so far, with more joining up every day. Please check the Sefton Council website events page for information on other smokefree events.

• Sefton Community Markets
  • Bootle Strand: April 15^th, May 6^th and 20^th
  • Marion Square: April 29^th, May 13^th and 27^th
  • Find out more at: www.seftoncommunitymarkets.co.uk/

• Community Gala Day, Litherland Park, May 21^st
  Find out more at www.litherlandchildrenscentre.co.uk/

• Children’s fun day, Seaforth Children’s centre
  • April 5^th
  • April 12^th
  • Find out more at: www.sefton.gov.uk

Event organisers across Sefton are being encouraged to join the campaign by making their event smokefree to create a healthy, family friendly space and help children understand that smoking isn’t a normal activity. Event organisers joining the campaign will have access to a wealth of smokefree spring resources including posters, stickers and balloons. If you want your event to be part of smokefree spring email info@healthierfutures.org.

Stacey Smith, 33, who live in Ainsdale and attended the Santa’s Mystery Easter Egg Hunt in Victoria Park, Southport said: “I have never been to a smokefree event like this before and I would support more smokefree events for children. I would also like to see more smokefree spaces such as outside museums.

“I think vaping should be included because children are still seeing people and it can look like smoking. I think less children would smoke if they saw less people smoking and vaping.”

Andrew Seddon, 50, who lives in Southport and attended the Santa’s Mystery Easter Egg Hunt in Victoria Park, Southport said: “I support smokefree events and would like to see more in Sefton. It’s good to not have smoking at events, children copy and so I don’t like smoking to be in front of them.

“I would also like to see smokefree parks, beaches, maybe town centres and definitely outside hospitals.”

Smokefree Spring has been co-ordinated by Sefton council and local social enterprise Healthier Futures, formerly Tobacco Free Futures which changed its name on March 31^st 2016.

Matthew Ashton, Sefton Council’s shared Director of Public Health said: “We recognise that there is a high level of support and demand for more smokefree events and spaces in Sefton. We are committed to tackling the harms caused by tobacco in our communities, especially to children, and want to see more healthy, smokefree family-friendly events in our area that everyone can enjoy. We have this campaign to help increase the number of events we see promoting a smokefree policy and hope that more local organisers change their policies to protect children.”

Andrea Crossfield, Chief Executive of Healthier Futures (formerly named Tobacco Free Futures) added: “Young people consistently overestimate the prevalence of smoking, with 60% thinking it’s the ‘norm’, when in reality four out of five people don’t smoke in Sefton.

“Smokefree Spring has been created to increase the amount of clean and healthy environments that children and families play in. This isn’t about protecting children from second-hand smoke in outdoor spaces, rather its promoting being healthy to children. The more events that become smokefree, the less likely children are to take up smoking – preventing them from entering into a deadly addiction that kills one in two long-term smokers.”

If you are thinking about quitting smoking you can contact your local stop smoking service for free help and support by calling Sefton Support on 0300 100 1000.