Should children’s play areas in County Durham be smoke-free zones?
Residents, community groups and parish and town councils are being asked for their views on plans for a voluntary code banning smoking at outdoor play areas.
A public consultation on the proposal by the County Durham Tobacco Control Alliance, which includes Durham County Council, is now underway and will run until Friday, 17 October.
The alliance believes that by reducing children’s exposure to smoking and making it less socially acceptable, children are less likely to take up the habit themselves.
Cllr Lucy Hovvels, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for safer and healthier communities, said: “Children are influenced by what they see, and research shows that young people are most at risk of becoming smokers if they grow up in communities where smoking is the norm.
“The most effective way to prevent young people from becoming smokers is to encourage adult smokers to quit and to remove young people’s exposure to smoking.
“Making our play areas and play parks smoke-free is one of the ways in which we can change that social norm and hopefully prevent young people from taking up smoking.”
If the proposals are agreed, 178 play areas owned by the county council would be declared smoke-free, with posters and stickers being put up to encourage people not to smoke.
The owners of the remaining 129 play areas in the county would be asked to sign up to the voluntary code.
To take part in the consultation, visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultations