Devon receives excellence award for tackling second-hand smoke dangers
Devon County Council has today (Wednesday, 3 July) won an award for excellence for a pilot project to tackle smoking and protect children from harm.
The award from the CLeaR Partnership, which works with local authorities across England to assess progress in reducing smoking, was given for Devon’s pioneering work with children’s centres.
At the seven pilot sites across the county, the Council has installed specially designed signage to advise people not to smoke on site and provided bespoke training for staff to raise the issue with parents and offer support to parents who want to quit.
Run by the Smokefree Devon Alliance and Smokefree South West, the pilot will enable children's centre staff to engage with parents to share the message that a smoke free lifestyle is beneficial for them and their children.
The pilot children's centres are in Okehampton, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Exeter and Torrington.
The award was presented to Devon County Council Leader John Hart at a ceremony at the Local Government Association Conference in Manchester by Chief Executive of ASH Deborah Arnott who commended the council on its approach:
“Devon has shown the way for other parts of local government looking to address the harm smoking causes to children. Their project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when you target resources,” she said.
“Children from deprived communities are more likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke and to take up smoking in their teens as they live in environments where smoking is more common. Through supporting parents and raising awareness within children’s centres Devon has taken a real stride forward in addressing the significant health inequalities which smoking causes.”
Councillor Hart said: “It’s a real honour to receive this award for our work in reducing the harm tobacco causes families and communities.
“Children’s centres play an important role in signposting families and their local community to a range of services and support.
“This pilot gives them additional training and resources to be able to offer advice and guidance for families who are thinking about quitting smoking, or who want to make sure their children are protected from second hand smoke.”
Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Chairman of the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “Children’s centre staff are very keen to support service users and local communities adopt a smoke free lifestyle and are ideally placed to carry out this role.
“This pilot is a really good example of how the transition of public health to the local authority can influence better health outcomes for local communities, and encourage organisations to work more collaboratively to promote healthy lifestyles.”
Dr Virginia Pearson, Devon’s Director of Public Health, said: " Second hand smoke is a particular hazard for children, as they absorb proportionately more toxins than adults.
“Children’s exposure to cigarette smoke is influenced by whether their parents smoke and their attitudes to smoking at home. Devon's Children's Centres are helping to reduce the harm done by cigarette smoke to children, so that families keep their homes smoke free.”
Cancer Research UK’s Tobacco Control Lead, Alison Cox said: “Every child deserves the best start in life in an environment free from the damage caused by smoking. Devon’s smart and targeted approach to reducing smoking among parents seems to us to be an excellent approach to improving children’s health now and as they move into adulthood.”
Okehampton Children’s Centre will be the first to promote its smoke free site policy by installing specially designed signage and training staff to use a bespoke training DVD filmed in Devon. After evaluation, the programme will be rolled out across Devon.
