Children say “yes please!” to smoke free school gates

October 7, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Primary school children in Southend-on-Sea are encouraging their grown-ups to stop smoking at the school gates.

Greenways Primary School in Southchurch, want parents and carers to get behind the scheme aimed to improve children’s health.

‘Smokefree School Gates’ was announced in June 2019, after initially being created and successfully implemented by Action on Smoking with and Health Wales.

Now pupils at the school have created a video^[i], to publicise the campaign, which has been published across social media. 

A 10ft banner was unveiled at on Friday 4 October, which will be used to advertise the fact that Greenways expect their school gates to be smoke-free.

Cllr Trevor Harp, cabinet member for health and adult social care said:

“Greenways Primary School signing up to the Smokefree School Gates campaign is a step in the right direction for encouraging healthy environments, raising pupil awareness of healthy lifestyles and encouraging our community to help make Southend-on-Sea smoke free.

“Second-hand smoke can significantly harm the health of a child, increasing the risk of respiratory problems.

“When I met and spoke to the children on Friday 4 October and from what was said by pupils in the recently released video, attendees of Greenways Primary are pleased that their school has chosen to become a pilot for the project.”

October is a month with special significance for stopping smoking. Stoptober is a national 28-day stop smoking challenge from Public Health England that encourages and supports smokers across the country to quit for good. The campaign is based on the insight that if you can stop smoking for 28-days, you are five times more likely to be able to stop smoking for good.

To read all our other news please click here