Crackdown on smoking at Hull's school gates
Parents are being asked not to light up at school gates as figures show Hull still has one of highest smoking rates in the country.
Last updated 20th Jun 2018
A crackdown has begun on parents who smoke at Hull's school gates as figures show the city still has one of the highest smoking rates in the country.
Hull has almost double the number of smokers compared to other parts of the UK. 27% of people smoke in the city - the national average is 15%.
A new scheme has now been launched by Hull City Council to tackle the problem.
They're asking primaries to sign up to a new initiative which'll see teachers asking parents not to light up in front of children.
So far, around a third of primaries have got on board.
24 participating primary schools have written the rule change into their policies and all have given their students the chance to design a sign asking parents and carers not to smoke.
It's hoped the move will help bring down those rates and "de-normalise" smoking for children and protect people from second-hand smoke.
Councillor Gwen Lunn, portfolio holder for Public Health, said: “Creating a smoke-free generation sounds ambitious – and it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s unachievable. Hull’s smoking rates are coming down, but they remain stubbornly high in comparison to national averages and we’re determined to do all we can to change that.
“Introducing measures like smoke-free school gates and before that smoke-free sidelines and playgrounds helps to chip away the places children see smoking, breathe in smoke and have it reinforced as something that is normal for grown-ups to do. Every month 40 people in Hull die as a result of conditions directly related to smoking and that simply can’t continue.
“We’ve been delighted by the response from schools, most of which have been keen to update their policies and involve children in designing signs to communicate the change to their parents and carers. We know most people already choose not to smoke at school gates, but it’s vital we continue to send the message that young people must be protected from tobacco. We’re confident that these are changes which will pay off long-term and this generation of children will grow up seeing smoking as something which isn’t the norm”