Protection For Children Over Smoking

4 July 2011, 06:00

One of the Thames Valley's health authority's has told Heart they're determined to protect children from the dangers of smoking.

In West Berkshire 17% of people are smokers - their NHS Trust has set up a Tobacco Control Alliance to reduce the amount of young people taking up smoking.
 
Janet Maxwell is their Director of Public Health and told heart "A lot of work is going on in schools, we've had the big healthy campaign in schools in the past - and we'll continue to work with school age children around education, awareness, getting them to understand the risk involved in smoking and how they can say now.

We're also looking at ensuring the areas children play in - so that play areas in parks are smoke free - so we'll be
putting in new signs to make sure that parents don't smoke in front of children."

In West Berkshire (Reading, Wokingham, Newbury, Hungerford), around 17% of the population are smokers.
Across Oxfordshire 20% of the population - or 1-5 - regularly smoke
In Hampshire 18% of the whole population are smokers.

Want to quit smoking?

Contact your local NHS Stop Smoking Service - or click HERE or text QUIT to 60123