Youngsters to fight tobacco deaths

Youth speak out: Anti-Tobacco Youth Campaign at the British American Tobacco Annual General Meeting.

Young people across Rochdale are set to join the battle to prevent tobacco deaths with the launch of an Anti-Tobacco Youth Forum.

It is the brainchild of the Roy Castle Lung Foundation, which aims to defeat lung cancer nationally, and is backed locally by Rochdale Council and NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

The council’s tobacco-free expert, Lisa Barker said: “Half of all regular smokers in Britain are killed by their habit and one-fifth of our young people are already regular smokers by the time they are 15.

"The aim of the Anti-Tobacco Youth Forum is to get young people directly involved in campaigns to stop young people picking up the habit and help them kick it when they do.”

The forum is one of the first to be set up in the North West, joining the likes of Liverpool, Salford and Widnes who already have successful groups.

Run by young people for young people, the forum is looking for enthusiastic and committed 12-16 year olds and 17-20 year olds to take the campaign forward.

To find out more about the Anti-Tobacco Youth Campaign and get involved locally, visit www.roycastle.org/atyc or phone Jackie on 01706 924225.