Children front latest stop smoking campaign Credit: Public Health England
Primary school children have created their own “plain packaging” for cigarette packs ahead of the official roll-out of standardised packets in 2017.
The youngsters devised their own front-of-pack messages encouraging England’s seven million smokers to quit.
One child’s artwork says: “Don’t be a smoker – be a stopper.”
The children are featured in Public Health England’s (PHE) new campaign to highlight the damaging effect smoking has on the heart.
PHE said that every day 45 people die of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks or strokes caused by smoking – more than 16,500 a year in England.
In the North East 18.7 per cent of people are smokers Standardised packaging will be mandatory from May 2017.
Cigarettes will be sold in packs which feature a graphic picture and text health warnings.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, said: “If you smoke, quitting not only means an instant pay rise but also reduces your chances of a serious disease within days of stopping.
Children worry about their parents and grandparents smoking and quitting is likely to make your family very proud.
“This year there is another reason to quit at New Year, as more and more packs of cigarettes will be in plain standardised packaging with larger health warnings. Every cigarette is a stark reminder of the damage smoking causes.”
Dr John Bourke, Consultant Cardiologist at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and Cardiac Lead for the NorthernEngland Cardiovascular Network, added:
“Cigarette smoking is the single most important and avoidable risk factor for death at a young age in both men and women in the UK.
“Smoking speed up the ageing process in blood vessels throughout the body – causing heart attacks,leg amputations and strokes. In short, cigarette smoking accelerates the ageing process making your body older at every age than you actually should be.”
Cigarette smoking is the single most important and avoidable risk factor for death at a young age in both men and women in the UK.
Smokers looking to quit are being encouraged to search ‘Smokefree’ online or contact their local Stop Smoking Service.