Published 12 November 2021
Two creative pupils will see their posters discouraging smoking in play parks prominently displayed across West Dunbartonshire.
The winning posters were designed by Lauri Doherty, an S2 pupil at Our Lady and Saint Patrick’s High School and Whitecrook Primary P5 pupil Orlagh Prior, as part of a competition which aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke to children.
Lauri’s design shows the text ‘Keep your ciggies away from kiddies’ while Orlagh’s poster urges adults ‘Please don’t smoke where children play’. The posters will be displayed in play parks to remind people not to smoke in or around them.
The initiative, a partnership between the Council’s Communities team, Greenspace team and West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, aims to protect the health of children and young people by calling on adults to do the right thing and making smoking within play parks socially unacceptable.
Councillor Karen Conaghan, Convener of Educational Services said: “I would like to congratulate both of these pupils who have captured the feeling of us all with regards to smoking around play parks and in particular around children. These cleverly designed posters help to raise awareness and highlight how dangerous second-hand smoke is to our children.”
Councillor Iain McLaren, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration, Economic Development, added: “Well done to Lauri and Orlagh for creating such eye-catching designs and helping to raise awareness of this serious issue. I hope by displaying the posters within our play parks adults will think twice before choosing to smoke near children. We all know the harm second-hand smoking can cause everyone, not only children, and I would call on adults to do the right thing and not smoke in any of our play parks.”
The Smoke free Play Parks Initiative is part of West Dunbartonshire’s 10 year Substance Use Prevention Strategy which aims to address the harms caused by alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. For more information please visit http://www.wdhscp.org.uk/health-improvement/west-dunbartonshire-substance-use-prevention-strategy/.