News Archive SmokeFree Liverpool Launches Today
SmokeFree Liverpool Launches Today
March 25, 2004 - PRESS RELEASE
SmokeFree Liverpool Launches today
The people of Liverpool are being urged to pledge their support for a smoke free Liverpool.
Following the official launch of SmokeFree Liverpool at the city's Empire Theatre Conference Suite on Thursday March 25 pledge books will be located at six key sites across Liverpool where supporters can express their right to live and work free of tobacco smoke.
SmokeFree Liverpool is a partnership of local health and community organisations including the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation whose founder died 10 years ago as a result of exposure to second hand tobacco smoke.
Bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs and other workplaces across the city will be encouraged and supported to introduce no-smoking policies to enable Liverpool to become a Smoke Free City by 2008, the year the city celebrates its status as European Capital of Culture
The campaign aims to reduce smoking-related deaths in the city by creating safe places for people to work and relax without being exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.
Each year 1,000 people die in Liverpool from smoking-related diseases: 100 of them have never smoked a cigarette in their lives.
Award-winning BBC Radio Merseyside broadcaster Roger Phillips will present the launch event and unveil a video explaining the benefits of a smoke free Liverpool.
Dr Paula Grey, Director of Public Health for Central Liverpool Primary Care Trust, said: "Smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in this city. Every year the NHS in Liverpool spend £12.7m treating people with smoking related conditions.
Exposure to second hand tobacco smoke increases the chance of getting heart disease, lung cancer and many other respiratory conditions.
Creating smokefree workplaces will not only reduce the number of deaths - it will also greatly reduce the emergency admissions for people with respiratory conditions.
71% of people in Liverpool don't smoke and of those who do 70% want to give up. By creating a SmokeFree Liverpool we will be creating a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone and make it easier for those who want to stop smoking."
Councillor Richard Oglethorpe, Executive Member for the Environment at Liverpool City Council, said: " The tide of national opinion is running towards the government making laws to control smoking in public places.
Here in Liverpool we want to be the first to work with businesses to make SmokeFree Liverpool a reality.
Making Liverpool smokefree will put to the fore the right of non smokers who deserve to enjoy their work and leisure time without the threat of dangers of second-hand tobacco smoke."
Independent occupational health and safety charity Health@Work will be leading the programme to support workplaces to become smokefree.
The charity's director, Frances Molloy, said: "Health@Work will provide a free service for businesses to help them create a smoke free working environment.
"Most businesses don't have the time or the information to implement a policy like this and so we are simply there to help them in any way we can providing independent professional advice, guidance and support."
Chris Owens, SmokeFree Liverpool's co-ordinator, said: "Nobody should have to expose themselves to hazardous chemicals simply to earn a living. Smoking doesn't just make your eyes sting and your clothes smell, it kills.
"Over the next three years SmokeFree Liverpool will work closely with employers to help them create a smokefree environment for all their employees as well as the public.
"Understandably concern has been expressed about the impact smokefree practices would have on business. However, research by the TUC backed Hazards Magazine examined the impact of smoking bans in the hospitality industry from 97 studies in eight countries and found no negative impact on business.
"SmokeFree Liverpool has been working closely with officials in New York where a ban on smoking in public places was introduced in March 2003. The latest independent report shows a 12% increase in revenues in the hospitality trade together with the creation of 10,000 extra jobs in that sector.
"We will also provide resources and help businesses implement smoke free policies in their workplaces and support smokers who want to quit create a "smoke free culture."
Head of Liverpool Health Promotion Service, Sandra Davies, said: "Creating a SmokeFree Liverpool is the single biggest step we can make to improving the health of the people of this great city. Then we can justifiably say we are the Capital of Culture and not the Capital of Lung Cancer!"
Note to editors:
Pledge Books will be located at the following sites:
Main reception, Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB.
Central Liverpool Primary Care Trust, Hartington Road Clinic, Hartington Road, Liverpool, L8 2BR.
Puschka, 16, Rodney Street, Liverpool, L1 2TE.
Holiday Inn Liverpool City Centre, Lime Street, L1 1NQ.
Liverpool Empire, Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JE.
Queen Square Travel Centre, Queen Square, Liverpool L1 1RG.
A SmokeFree Liverpool Group was established in mid-2003 to take forward the objective of the Liverpool First For Health Strategic Partnership to make Liverpool a Smoke Free City by 2008.
The SmokeFree Liverpool Group brings together a wide range of partners including the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Central, North and South Primary Care Trusts, Liverpool City Council's Environmental Health and Trading Standards Departments, Liverpool Health Promotions Service, Scarman Trust, Health@Work, the Chamber of Commerce and the North West TUC.
The launch will include speeches from Councillor Richard Oglethorpe, Executive Member for Environment, explaining "What is SmokeFree Liverpool and why we need this initiative?"; Councillor Mike Storey, leader of Liverpool City Council, talking about how the initiative links to the Capital of Culture and Derek Campbell, Chair of Liverpool First For Health, summarising the Health Benefits for Liverpool of going smokefree.
A video including interviews with health experts, venues that are already smokefree or considering going smokefree and members of the public will be shown.
For further information contact Roger Kenyon at Kenyon Fraser, tel. 0151 706 9932 or Jane Gallagher on 0151 706 9992.
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