Stockton Tobacco Control Alliance
Summary Report of Local Alliance Work 05/06
What Is Smoke Free Stockton?
Smoke Free Stockton is a partnership with an aim of encouraging more smoke-free areas in public venues.
The partnership consists of a range of organisations and individuals including:
Stockton Renaissance; North Tees Primary Care Trust; Tees Start Stopping Service; Stockton Council; Local Councillors and Residents; and Cleveland Fire Service.
What Are The Aims Of Smoke Free Stockton?
Smoke Free Stockton is working towards making Stockton a smoke free borough. An area where you can work, relax and play without fear of harm to your health from second hand tobacco smoke and that allows the 70% of the UK population that are non-smokers to sit, eat, drink and shop in smoke-free area.
How Will We Achieve This?
We are achieving this by working with organisations across Stockton to encourage them to protect staff by introducing smoke free policies to create cleaner and safer environments. A number of workplaces have already introduced such policies. We would like to extend this to all workplaces in Stockton.
Smoke Free Stockton works closely with employers to create a smoke free environment for all its employees as well as the public.
Smoke Free Stockton provides resources and support to help businesses implement smoke free policies in their workplaces and create a “smoke free culture.” A smoke free environment is good for health, good for the working environment and well supported by the general public
Smoke Free Stockton Provides:
- Information on relevant legislation regarding smoking restrictions in public places.
- Evidence on the effects of passive smoking and the benefits of becoming smoke-free.
- Assistance in developing questionnaires to establish customer views on smoking and produce recommendations for further action based on the findings.
- Guidance on policy development, implementation and enforcement.
- Information on the support available to smokers through the Smoking Cessation Service.
- Signage to communicate your smoking policy to customers.
- Present your venue with a Smoke-free Award and advertise it in our Smoke-free guide.
- Support and answer queries when needed.
- Assistance in the launch of your no-smoking policy and help with attracting publicity.
The National Clean Air Award, an initiative from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, is the first UK wide scheme that rewards employers who implement effective workplace no-smoking policies by giving them a prestigious nationally recognised award and provides them with guidance to help them get their policy right.
The Award is available as either:
Gold - for premises and grounds that are completely smoke-free
Silver - for premises where smoking is restricted to external smoking shelters, or areas, in order to eliminate second-hand smoke exposure.
The aims of the Award are:
- To reduce public and workplace exposure to second-hand smoke
- To support the implementation of effective no-smoking policies
- To broaden the agenda and make the introduction of no-smoking policies attractive to business
- To support those working to encourage employers to introduce no-smoking policies
- To provide an environment where smokers who wish to stop can be supported and encouraged
- To recognise and reward the introduction of no-smoking policies
Health Minister Caroline Flint presenting the National Clean Air Award to local businesses on a ministerial visit to Stockton on 9 March 2006.
www.stockton-online.ac.uk/health/smoke free stockton
www.northteespct.nhs.uk/healthcampaign/smokefreestockton
www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/stockton
Image of Fresh Banner at Stockton
