Ban on smoking in playgrounds

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council is introducing a smoking ban in playgrounds in a drive to reduce the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on children.

Executive Board approved the plans as part of the authority’s Play Sufficiency Assessment.

And today, on national No Smoking Day, hundreds of children will design posters appealing to smokers to have a better conscience when lighting up around children.

Whilst the authority’s first aim will be to introduce the ban in its playgrounds, it is hoped that in future the ban will also extend to areas outside schools, leisure centres, beaches and playing fields.

They hope it will also encourage a ban in playgrounds owned by town and community councils.

Cllr Jim Jones, Executive Board Member for Public Protection, said: “Smokefree playgrounds will mean that children will be spared the risk of exposure to second-hand smoke.

“Whilst introducing a ban in playgrounds is a bold step, we see it as just the first step in making areas where children gather both safer and cleaner.”

It is hoped that as well as protecting children from second-hand smoke and ‘de-normalising’ smoking, the ban will also help them understand that it is a harmful activity.

To coincide with No Smoking Day, year six pupils in primary schools across the county are taking part in lessons which highlight the dangers that passive smoking has on their health.

The posters they are being asked to design will be entered in to a competition, with the winning design being used by the council to promote the ban in playgrounds across Carmarthenshire.