Children’s Commissioner and Minister back Wales’ No Smoking Day School Gates campaign

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the Minister for Wellbeing have jointly praised a national campaign banning parents from smoking at schoolgates in support of this year’s No Smoking Day.

Over 140 schools across Wales have pledged to take direct action to reduce smoking at schoolgates today (10/03/2021) by putting up banners and sending messages to parents.

The Children’s Commissioner, Sally Holland, said she is delighted so many have chosen to take part in the ASH Wales campaign.

Meanwhile Eluned Morgan, Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language said she is ‘determined children should see less people smoking’.

The campaign comes just days after it became illegal to smoke on schoolgrounds in Wales and will reinforce the message to parents, pupils, staff and visitors that smoking around children is no longer acceptable.

The legislation banning smoking inside school grounds came into force on March 1st and is the latest in a raft of measure to combat stubbornly high youth smoking rates in Wales where an estimated 6,000 children take up the habit every year.

In Wales 8% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoke at least weekly and according to ASH Wales’ latest YouGov survey, 81% of adult smokers in Wales tried their first cigarette aged 18 or under.  Currently 18% of the adult population of Wales smoke at a cost to the NHS of an estimated £320 million a year.

Speaking on No Smoking Day, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, said:

“I’m delighted to hear that so many schools have decided to take part in this initiative. Not only does it help to de-normalise smoking – an important step in lowering the numbers of young people in Wales who smoke – but it also helps to protect children from the harms of second-hand smoke.

“All children and young people have a right to good health under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The harm to health caused by smoking, for both smoker and those around them, is something we should all strive to protect children from.”

Eluned Morgan, Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language, said:

“We recently made it illegal to smoke on school grounds, playgrounds and outdoor childcare settings. We are determined that our children and young people see less people smoking and increasingly think of it as an unusual habit.

“We want to accelerate the downward trend in the number of children and young people that start to smoke, helping them to live healthier lives.

“We remain committed to our longer-term goal of making more of Wales’ public spaces smoke-free and helping people of all ages to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing. Our HelpMeQuit services support smokers of all ages on their journey to a smoke-free future, including those under 18, and we would encourage all would-be quitters to reach out for support to significantly boost their chances of succeeding.”

ASH Wales is calling for more measures to tackle youth smoking rates and on March 22nd will host a meeting of child health experts chaired by Baroness Finley of Llandaff, who first proposed banning smoking in public buildings in Wales.

Among the measures it is proposing is raising the age of sale of tobacco from 18 to 21 – action favoured by the majority of adults in Wales according to the latest ASH Wales YouGov survey which found that 62% would support the move.  It is also calling for more tailored stop smoking support for young people in Wales, particularly in the country’s poorest communities where smoking prevalence is highest.

Suzanne Cass is CEO of ASH Wales. She said: “Youth smoking rates in Wales remain stubbornly high and we must do all we can to prevent the children of today from becoming the smokers of tomorrow.

“There is strong public support for additional measures to address youth smoking prevalence in Wales. Campaigns like Smokefree Schoolgates support the Welsh Government smoke-free legislation and ensure no stone is unturned in the fight to change children’s perceptions about smoking.”

CASE STUDY: Jenny Thomas is headteacher of Tredegar Park Primary School, one of the schools which has joined the Smokefree Schoolgates campaign. She described the problems caused by parents gathering to smoking outside her schoolgates:

“We have received several complaints from parents that there appear to be groups of parents smoking just beyond our schoolgates.

The caretaker has politely asked them to stop smoking or to move away from the gates. The response has generally been negative where they will say that they are not on school property and that they can do as they please on council property. Many forms of communication have gone out to ask them to stop in order to protect our school community.

It is important to stop this from happening so that my families feel safe as they come into school and leave school. A school shouldn’t be a place where people are worried about inhaling smoke. We have many entrances into the school so we have decided to put banners on all the gates. We have done this to remind people that it is not acceptable.

We have tried for years to stop this from happening. I hope that it will support us in some way. I genuinely believe that the children give the best messages to parents. If our children see the signs and know that it shouldn’t happen, they will tell their parents. We are hopeful that our parents will learn from our children.”

John Griffiths, AM for Newport East and chair of the Cross-Party Group on Smoking and Health added:

“I am pleased to again support ASH Wales’ “No Smoking Day” initiative. The new legislation that has just came in around the banning of smoking on school grounds is a really positive step and will reduce the likelihood of our children and grandchildren being affected by the harms of second-hand smoke.

It’s great that a number of schools in Newport have got on board with this campaign and it shows their commitment to our ambitions of a smoke-free Wales.”

 

Wales Makes History By Banning Smoking In School Grounds, Hospitals and Playgrounds

Wales makes history today by becoming the first country in the UK to ban smoking in the grounds of schools and hospitals and in children’s playgrounds.

The Public Health (Wales) Act legislation which comes into force today, is aimed at driving down smoking rates in Wales where 18% of the adult population currently smoke. Any smokers caught lighting up in areas covered by the act could be subjected to a £100 fine.

When the legislation was first announced it was hailed by Welsh Government ministers as the most important public health legislation to be launched in a decade.

Smoking is the biggest cause of early preventable death in Wales and it costs the Welsh NHS £320 million a year to treat patients with smoking-related conditions.  Meanwhile smoking prevalence among young people remains stubbornly high with around 8% of 15–16-year-olds smoking weekly and an estimated 6,000 children taking up the habit every year. According to a YouGov survey by ASH Wales, 81% of adult smokers  tried their first cigarette aged 18 or under.

ASH Wales, which campaigned for the Public Health (Wales) Act legislation to come into force, believes the legislation will help to de-normalise smoking, prevent young people from taking up the habit and encourage existing smokers to quit. The charity also hopes the legislation could pave the way for more smoke-free spaces, with ministers indicating that a ban on smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants could be considered in the future.

Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, said:

“We are very proud that Wales is leading the way with this forward-thinking legislation.

“For too long smoking has been perceived as a normal lifestyle choice with smokers being able to light up in places where our children play, socialise and learn.

There is nothing normal about smoking, however. It is an extremely harmful addiction that all too often begins in childhood.  We hope that this legislation will make great strides in changing perceptions about this addiction and prevent children from becoming the next generation of adult smokers.”

Have your say on the future of stop smoking support in Wales

Archived page: This 2021 survey and its prize draw are now closed. This page is kept for historical reference.

There is free support available for all smokers in Wales from Help Me Quit and you can also access free NRT and behavioural support from your local pharmacy. But what’s currently missing is an online system that could help smokers to book stop smoking appointments, access helpful tips and track their progress.

To find out if this type of digital solution would work, we wanted to hear from smokers and ex-smokers, which is why ASH Wales ran this survey in 2021.

Nobody knows more about smoking and the challenges of quitting than smokers and ex-smokers, and their views helped inform our work.

The survey is now closed.

Pembroke Secondary School Stubs Out Smoking At The School Gates

A secondary school in Pembrokeshire has become the latest to ban people from smoking outside its school gates.

Henry Tudor School in Pembroke has made the move ahead of new laws due to come into force in March across Wales, banning smoking in all school playgrounds.

The ban on smoking outside the school gates is aimed at tackling youth smoking prevalence by de-normalising smoking and reducing children’s exposure to second hand smoke. It comes ahead of the Public Health Wales Act legislation which comes into force on March 1st and will see smoking banned in the grounds of school and hospital grounds and in children’s playgrounds across Wales.

Visitors to Henry Tudor School will now be greeted at the school gates by a banner asking them not to smoke which was designed by one of the pupils.  Schools across Wales are now expected to implement Smokefree Schoolgates with help from ASH Wales which is providing them with banners, floor stickers and social media support.

The Smokefree Schoolgates campaign was originally launched by ASH Wales in 2015 and more schools are now coming on board due to the new legislation.

Deputy Headteacher Andrew Barlow explained why the school had adopted the policy:

“Our main aim is to stop parents who pick up their children from smoking in front of other pupils and to stop older pupils from smoking as they leave the school

“So far we’ve had a really positive reaction from both staff and pupils particularly those who have been involved in the design of the stop smoking banner. The school council are also happy because this was something they’d campaigned for.

“We very much hope this will result in a decline in pupils lighting up as they leave school and we feel it’s crucially important to de-normalise smoking in the eyes of young people and change parents’ attitudes towards smoking in front of children.”

Currently in Wales 8% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoke at least weekly. ASH Wales is campaigning for all schools across Wales to ban smoking at the school gates. Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales said:

“Youth smoking prevalence in Wales remains stubbornly high with  thousands of children continuing to take up the habit every year, despite concerted efforts to teach them about the dangers.

“Smoking is not a lifestyle choice, it is a lifelong addiction, with devastating consequences, that all too often starts in childhood.

“We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle this problem is reduce children’s exposure to the sight of adults smoking in everyday situations such as standing by the school gates.

“We are really pleased that Henry Tudor has joined the many schools in Wales in making the forward-thinking decision to introduce smoke-free school gates and we hope that others will follow suit.”

ASH Wales carried out a survey of pupils at Henry Tudor School to find more about their exposure to smoking.

Of those that took part, 28% said that somebody in their home smoked daily. Meanwhile among pupils that smoked themselves, 22% said they would like to quit the habit.

Research has shown that children are over 70% more likely to smoke themselves if just one of their parents smoke.

Smokefree Action Coalition Calls for Decision over Standard Packs for Tobacco

Over 78,500 children have started smoking since UK Government’s consultation on standardised tobacco packaging ended

This Valentine’s day the Smokefree Action Coalition is calling on the UK Government to take action and “have a heart” by committing to legislation to make all tobacco packaging standard. Today is the tenth anniversary of the implementation of the ban on tobacco advertising and the seventh anniversary of the Commons vote for smokefree legislation.

The clock is ticking. Since the consultation on the legislation ended just over six months ago, it is estimated that 78,500 children will have started smoking in the UK, a number which grows by 430 every day. Now the Smokefree Action Coalition, an alliance of over 190 health organisations including ASH Wales, the BMA, medical royal colleges, public health bodies, academic institutions and health charities are calling on the Government to publish the results of its consultation and announce that it will go ahead with legislation.

Currently in the UK, there are no restrictions on the way tobacco multinationals are allowed to promote their brands through packaging. The packs are now the principal form of tobacco promotion and are designed to attract existing and potential consumers with colourful and eye-catching imagery.

Elen de Lacy, Chief Executive of ASH Wales, said:

“It’s time to make attractive tobacco packaging history and to introduce standard packs in the UK. No more pink and shiny packaging or tobacco packs that look like perfume boxes. No more slim-line cigarettes with ‘Vogue’ on the cover which are targeted directly at teenage girls. Smoking kills and we must take away the tobacco industry’s last form of advertising to our children.”

Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:

“As a young doctor I was depressed to see so many patients in their 50s and 60s suffering because they had started smoking as children. Back then there was very little we could do, but now we have the opportunity to help protect our children by implementing standardised packaging.”

Smoking is a childhood addiction, not an adult choice. More than 150,000 children start smoking each year in the UK. Half of all lifelong smokers will die from their addiction, amounting to over 100,000 people last year in the UK.

Putting tobacco products in standardised packs is a popular measure. Opinion research shows that 62% of the public support the plain, standardised packaging of tobacco products, with more smokers supporting than opposing the measure. Over 200,000 people have expressed their support for the introduction of plain, standardised packaging of tobacco products in the UK. Internationally, standardised packaging is already in place in Australia which became the first country to implement such legislation in December 2012.

It’s time for the UK to follow suit.

A day in a life of a hospital smoke-free enforcement officer

If you light up a cigarette in the grounds of Nevill Hall or the Grange University Hospital, you will probably end up having a chat with one of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s Smoke-Free Enforcement Officers, Matt Lloyd. His job is to patrol the hospital grounds, speak with smokers and ask them to stub out their cigarettes or move outside the hospital grounds. When the Public Health (Wales) Act comes into force on 1st March 2021, he will be reminding people that it is illegal to smoke on hospital grounds and they could be faced with an on the spot fine of £100. We caught up with Matt to find out more about his job and why he is on a mission to help smokers to quit.

“]I love my job and it really keeps me on my feet. No day is the same and I never know what reaction I’m going to get from smokers when I approach them.

There are lots of different places where staff, patients and visitors can tuck themselves away for a smoke on the hospital grounds and dealing with that is a constant battle.

The smoke gets through the vents of the hospital windows and it can have a damaging effect on patients. A hospital is a place where people come to get better

and patients suffering from asthma and heart conditions really should not have to be exposed to other people’s smoke. There are also lots of ex-smokers coming in. Walking into the hospital through a cloud of smoke could be the trigger that gets them smoking again.

Dealing with the daily situation is very challenging, particularly at the moment. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors can’t go into the hospital, so they drop their relative outside and have a smoke while they wait. Meanwhile, staff are under immense pressure, some of them go outside for a break and take the opportunity to have a cigarette. If they are willing to have a chat, I will discuss other options for stress relief and remind them that breaking the policy is a disciplinary offence.

People come to the hospital with serious medical problems and visitors can be pretty stressed and emotional. I make a point of always approaching people with a smile and trying to be as helpful as I can. I explain why we have this smoke-free policy and I talk to them about second-hand smoke and how it affects other people. About 90% of people do move on and I always try to leave them with a smile as well.

If somebody refuses to stop smoking, I talk to them again about why we have the policy and the law that is soon to be introduced. If it’s a patient I can contact their ward manager who can offer them Nicotine Replacement Therapy to help with cravings. It is everybody’s responsibility to support the smoke-free policy and up-coming law to make sure we offer our staff, patients and visitors a positive experience when using our NHS services.

quitting smoking covid-19

When I approach someone who is smoking, it’s a great opportunity for me to encourage them to quit smoking by contacting Help Me Quit or taking up the help that’s available within the hospital including free nicotine replacement therapy. I always hand out Help Me Quit leaflets and regularly set up a stall in the hospital lobby with information about quitting for those who want to take the opportunity.

The new law coming into force on March 1st will mean that we can hand out £100 fines. That’s a steep penalty and I think it will encourage people to respect the rules a lot more. There will of course be people who don’t comply but I’m hoping it will encourage more people to think about where they smoke and how it is affecting others.

The Health Board is also installing loudspeakers at the main entrances to both hospitals, that alert smokers that they shouldn’t be smoking here. Anybody can press the button if they see a smoker, which will be a big help in keeping the hospital smoke-free and will give people the confidence to challenge smokers.

I really enjoy the challenges this job brings and that fact that no day is the same. You never know what reaction you’re going to get from person to person. It keeps me on my feet. I don’t just talk to people about smoking, I’ve had patients telling me their life stories and supported staff in times of stress.

Even though I’m there to enforce the policy, I want to be a friendly face so that people feel they can come to me for advice and if they do want to quit, I can offer information about where they can get professional help.