Rochdale Community Quits Smoking at Smoke Free Awards Ceremony

Smoke Free Award Winners

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Families, schools and businesses have been commended by the Mayor, Councillor Ashley Dearnley for supporting smoke free initiatives at a Smoke Free awards ceremony. The event awarded schools, homes and workplaces for providing smoke free environments and for helping to improve the health of Rochdale’s people.

Families were joined by business and school representatives at the Town Hall on Thursday 9 March to collect their certificates. The anti-smoking campaigns adopted by these homes and organisations highlighted the importance of protecting people, especially children, from the severe health risks caused by second hand smoke. The Mayor said in his speech, “By taking action to prevent children from not starting to smoke and by protecting children from being exposed to second hand smoke, you are making a major contribution to the public health of our community.”

The presentations were then made and the families supporting the Smoke Free Homes campaign were first to be congratulated, with Nicola and Wayne Leaheir of Rochdale in attendance to receive their award whilst Elaine Johnson of Littleborough and Alison Lomax and her three children were also awarded certificates but were unable to attend. The families were awarded for protecting their children from second hand smoke and dramatically reducing the chances of their children taking up smoking.

Representatives from schools across the borough were given the smoke free schools award as recognition that they are completely smoke free, with smoking bans in place in the buildings and on the grounds whilst parents and visitors are made well aware that smoking is prohibited. Sharon Snook of Sunny Brow Nursery, Lynn Coxell of St Edwards school, Gill Rhodes of St Michaels CE Primary School, Bamford and Jane George of Smithy Bridge School were all commended whilst representatives of Meanwood, Parkfield and All Saints Primary Schools all received awards.

Rochdale Online Managing Director Pauline Journeaux was in attendance to receive a smoke free business award and she was joined by Simon Crompton from The Baum pub and by representatives from JD Weatherspoon’s and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing in being thanked for their help and contributions to the Smoke Free Initiative and for committing themselves to becoming smoke free.

Environmental Health and the Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton Primary Care Trusts have been working together to tackle the levels of smoking prevalence and exposure to second hand smoke within the borough and the importance of this was highlighted by Adrian Watson, Chief Environmental Health and Licensing Officer, in his opening speech, “For us to be successful in achieving our aims, we need to work in partnership on a big scale. Although the Council and the Primary Care Trusts can encourage people to make the necessary changes and ensure the infrastructure is in place, it is important that we work with businesses, schools and families and that they understand and take on board our aspirations.”

In her closing speech, Dr. Sheila Will, Director of Public Health, provided some hard-hitting facts about the effects of smoking, with smoke being held responsible for 106,000 deaths per year in the UK whilst 412 people every year die from smoking attributable causes in the Rochdale borough. She was quick to congratulate those who received awards for helping to lower those figures, “Making your home and school totally smoke free is the single most important step anyone can take to improve the health of their family and friends, this is especially important in protecting the health of babies and children.”

Senior Environmental Health Officer, Gary Parkinson organised the event and he spoke of the successes of the ceremony, “Overall we thought the event was a great success and would like to thank everyone who took part. We hope that the smoke free homes, schools and businesses that received awards are the first of many more to become completely smoke free and protect people who live and work in the Rochdale Borough.”

Fellow organiser and leader of the Smoke Free Project, Lisa Barker explained, "This event launched just some of the initiatives that are planned to reduce unwanted exposure to second hand smoke and smoking prevelance within the Rochdale Borough. Anyone wanting to know more and have the opportunity to comment on the actions planned for the next 4 years on lifestyle issues, including smoke free, can view the draft Healthy Lifestyles Strategy."

The strategy is available online by clicking the link below.

www.rochdalepct.nhs.uk