Smokers in bury urged to take 7 steps out to help protect children

Date published: 27 August 2010

This summer Smokefree North West will bring its roadshow to Bury as part of its ‘Take 7 Steps Out’ campaign, which aims to highlight the dangers of second hand smoke.

‘Take 7 Steps Out’ urges parents and families to Take 7 Steps Out of their home to protect children and young people from cigarette smoke. The roadshow will visit Bury Market on 3 September (from 9.30am), and will aim to help parents and families to protect children and young people from preventable illnesses caused by cigarette smoke.

The campaign will highlight that many of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are invisible and there’s no way of knowing where it is lingering, a fact which many families may not be aware of. Cigarette smoke can trigger asthma attacks and ear infections which can lead to hearing impairment, operations and time off school - all of which could be avoided.

At least 35,000 GP visits and hospital appointments could be prevented if parents and carers took seven steps outside to protect their children from the immediate and long-term harm from secondhand smoke (estimates based on national statistics - RCP: Passive Smoking and Children, March 2010).

Bury will host one of twenty four roadshow events which will tour every county in the North West. This fun and interactive roadshow is sure to draw a crowd with giant Tom-Hanks style musical steps for the kids and campaign mascot StepaRoo and her joey on hand to join in the fun!

Dr Peter Elton, Director of Public Health for NHS Bury said:

“Around a quarter* of Bury residents still smoke and second hand smoke still does a lot of damage. We know that many smokers want to quit, but it has to be the right time for them, so a key message of this campaign is that if you aren’t ready to quit just yet, you can still make a big difference by stepping outside of the home before you light up.”

“Second hand smoke is extremely bad for health and can damage almost every organ in the body. Inhaling second hand smoke is particularly dangerous for children because their bodies are still developing and children who inhale second hand smoke are more at risk of developing ear and respiratory illnesses.”

The need for the campaign is highlighted by survey results released this month by Smokefree North West which reveal that of respondents in the North West:

· Almost half of parents do not know that second hand smoke can cause cot deaths (47 percent).
· More than a third do not know that it can cause ear infections and hearing impairments (35 percent).
· More than half of the respondents do not know that secondhand smoke has an impact on children attending school (51 percent).

· 86 percent of respondents agreed that smokers should be encouraged not to smoke in their home if they share it with a child.

Dr Janet Atherton, Chair of Smokefree North West, said:

“Public opinion is clearly behind this campaign with almost nine in ten people supporting action to encourage smokers not to smoke in their home if they share it with a child.”

“Parents and other family members may not be aware that many of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are invisible and they have no way of knowing where it is lingering. By simply smoking right away from the house, parents can really help protect their children from the immediate and lifelong harm of secondhand smoke. For handy tips and hints on making your home smokefree visit Take7Steps out.”

The ‘Take 7 Steps Out’ roadshow will tour throughout the North West from (10 August) until (11 September) and is supported by a five week television campaign, starting (10 August) in partnership with Smoke Free North East.

For more information on locations of activities visit take7stepsout.co.uk and get instant updates from campaign mascot StepaRoo by following her blog at steparoo.take7stepsout.co.uk