Signs are being erected in all Nantwich play areas in a bid to discourage people from smoking.
They will promote a new voluntary “Play Smokefree” code in all Cheshire East Council run playgrounds.
About 170 play areas will be covered by the code, developed by heart health charity Heart of Mersey with Cheshire East Council, Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (CEPCT) and the Cheshire and Merseyside Tobacco Alliance.
A survey of Cheshire East residents showed 97.5% are in favour of the code. More than 22% of those surveyed were smokers.
Park wardens will also be used to discourage people who persist in smoking in play areas.
Cllr Janet Clowes, Cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “This voluntary scheme empowers our local communities themselves to change their smoking behaviour.
“Children learn their behaviour from adults. If children see smoking as a normal part of everyday life they are more likely to become smokers themselves.
“I think most adults would agree not lighting up in a children’s play area is not too much of a sacrifice and I hope residents will support this initiative.
“Discouraging smoking around children in our play areas will help reduce the number of young people who smoke.”
The council’s health improvement team has been involved in the scheme and its role is to ensure that services are provided to help improve and protect the health of people in Cheshire East.
Jo McCullagh, tobacco control programme lead at Heart of Mersey, said: “Three out of four children are aware of cigarettes before they reach the age of five.
“People smoking in children’s play areas is a fairly common sight, but it suggests to children that smoking is a harmless, acceptable, everyday activity. The reality is that this is a habit that is addictive and kills.”
(Picture: Cllr Janet Clowes and Heart of Mersey’s Suzanne Sweeney)
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