News / Health
Bristol inspires smokefree campaign across UK
Calls have been made to roll out public no smoking zones across the country after Bristol became host to the first “smokefree”, outdoor, public areas.
Millennium Square and Anchor Square were the first to trial the voluntary ban in February.
And now The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is recommending exclusion zones are extended across the UK to parks and outside schools, bars and pubs.
“The introduction of a smoking exclusion zone around bars, restaurants and schools will further reduce the convenience of smoking, and we believe has the potential to move smokers to safer forms of nicotine, which could ultimately save many lives in the process,” Shirley Cramer, RSPH chief executive, said.
Kate Knight, deputy director of Smokefree South West, the organisation which led the Bristol pilot, said: “It’s fantastic to see the RSPH calling for further smokefree outdoor areas, which is just one of the many levers that can be put in place to reduce smoking prevalence and provide a healthier and more attractive environment for families and children.
“We know from research we have carried out in children’s play parks in the South West that smokers respond to a polite request to smoke away from places where there are childrenpresent, and this is what the signage at Millennium Square in Bristol does.”
She added: “We conducted research in the square ahead of the pilot, which found that the majority of people were supportive of a voluntary smokefree scheme.”
“A small survey was carried out after the signage went up and around a third of smokers interviewed felt that they had altered their behaviour as a result of the scheme.“
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