A fire engine with a powerful message urging parents to protect their children from 2nd-hand smoke is hitting the streets of Liverpool, as part of a potentially life-saving campaign.
This mobile image forms part of the new Smokefree Homes campaign, led by Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, and is being rolled out in the Croxteth and Norris Green areas.
The campaign also involves schools and community partners all working together to warn families about the dangers of smoking indoors.
With 1 in 3 children who are admitted to hospital for asthma attacks have been exposed to cigarette smoke, it’s stark reminder that lighting up at home puts children’s health at serious risk.
The launch follows a City-wide competition that saw over 250 poster entries from schools across Liverpool, with the winning design created by 11-year-old Mariia Svintozelska from Emmaus Primary School in Croxteth.
Mariia’s poster features a striking image of a pair of lungs, 1 healthy and 1 damaged visually showing the harmful effects of smoking on the body.
Her powerful message is now displayed on the side of the campaign fire engine, taking the message directly into the heart of local communities.
As part of the City’s wider Tobacco Control Strategy, this initiative also aims to create a healthier environment for children by reducing smoking and vaping around them as research shows children in smoking households are 3 times more likely to start themselves.
To support this, a key part of the programme also focuses on educating young people through lessons in primary schools, helping them understand the dangers of smoking and vaping.
These sessions cover important topics such as:-
- What’s in a cigarette and a vape
- Why smoking and vaping are harmful
- How to resist peer pressure
- The importance of protecting others from 2nd-hand smoke
11-year-old Mariia said:- “I’m so excited that my picture was chosen and to see it on a fire engine! My picture also says, ‘kids copy what they see’ and that is my message to adults. If grown-ups smoke, children might think it’s okay and they might do it. I want my design to help stop that and keep homes safe.”
Cllr Harry Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said:- “This project is about protecting our children’s health and giving them the knowledge to make informed choices and even teach adults a thing or 2."
If you smoke or vape and are thinking about quitting, free support is available from Smokefree Liverpool.
They offer advice, nicotine patches, gum, mouth spray or free vape kits for those choosing to switch to vaping as a step towards quitting or keeping their homes smokefree
For more information visit this website or phone 0800 061 4212.
