The Take 7 Steps Out campaign kicked off this week across the North West and the North East of England with significant coverage on TV, radio in the press.
The campaign aims to reduce the harm caused to children by exposure to secondhand smoke – especially in the home – by urging parents and carers to ‘Take7 Steps Out’ to help protect their children.
A TV advert, PR roadshow in 24-locations, an information pack aimed at the identified target audience and a microsite – www.take7stepsout.co.uk – will be augmented by a new brief intervention tool and guidelines later this month. This has been developed by the University of Liverpool, and will be available to colleagues in primary and secondary care, local authorities, Fire and Rescue teams and in the voluntary sector.
The public-facing campaign kicked-off in Manchester which hosted the first PR event featuring the cuddly ‘Steparoo’ - a real hit with children and adults alike. You can follow her adventures across the North West at http://steparoo.take7stepsout.co.uk
Jo McLeish is a mum from Stockport who has two children aged 11 and 12. Her youngest child has asthma so she decided to try to stop smoking in the home mainly for him, as well as for the sake of her other son who hates the smell.
She says: “My son Calum is only 12 and he won’t even pass me the ashtray, which is good because he’s got two friends who smoke. It’s a bit of a cliché but they are the next generation to us and if we’re smoking around them, then we haven’t got a next generation.
“If you want to smoke, then take it outside like I do. Don’t smoke in front of your kids, go in the garden and take 7 steps”
This public-facing campaign is part of a wider whole-system approach to reducing health harms to children and young people caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is responsible for at least 35,000 primary care visits and 1000 hospital visits by children across the North West every year. It is linked with hearing impairments, triggers asthma attacks and cot deaths.
The need for the campaign to protect children of all ages is highlighted by survey results released this month which reveal that:
• almost half of parents do not know that secondhand smoke can cause cot deaths (47 percent)
• more than a third do not know that it can cause ear infections and hearing impairments (35 percent)
• 86 percent of respondents agreed that smokers should be encouraged not to smoke in their home if they share it with a child
• more than half of the respondents do not know that secondhand smoke has an impact on children attending school (51 percent)
Dr Steve Henderson, Lead GP NHS North West and GP for Benchill MC, Wythenshawe is a supporter of the campaign and says: “Parents in the North West clearly want the best for their children but unfortunately many are unaware of how much secondhand smoke affects their child’s health. This campaign aims to arm parents and carers with important information to help them make a good decision about their child’s well being.”
Dr Janet Atherton, Chair of Smokefree North West, adds: “We have a duty to support parents with the best possible information. Parents and other family members may not know, for example, that many of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are invisible, so standing by an open window or door is simply not enough to protect their children.
“We know the public are behind us – with almost nine in ten supporting more education for smokers who live with children. We are working in close partnership with partners across health, local authority and fire and rescue and believe this campaign can make a real difference to the lives of children across our region.”
Smokefree North West has been working closely with partners to identify resources that can be made available across the region and so far 24,000 packs and 50,000 leaflets have been distributed to partners for use across the system. In addition, Smokefree North West has distributed banners and flyers to every PCT wishing to extend the activity beyond the summer and we are liaising with partners in Sure Start Centres to identify the most appropriate materials we can provide to support their work with parent and carer groups.
We are pleased to say that more than half of PCTs across the North West have opted to adopt the brand and we are working closely with all PCTs to ensure we join up as far as possible to maximise learnings and resources.
Print ready art work, templates and brand guidelines are also available for all those opting to adopt the brand.
A key part of the campaign – to motivate people to take action – is boosted by real stories of people who have made this change for the sake of their families. A number of people have come forward as case studies from across the region offering their advice about how they made their home smokefree and hoping to inspire others to do the same. You can see and hear their stories on www.take7stepsout.co.uk/your-stories We are collecting more stories as we travel around the region with the roadshow so please keep an eye on the website for additions.
Smokefree North West has managed to secure a number of family day out prizes at key attractions across the North West for the best case studies. Winners will be announced towards the end of August.
The Take 7 Steps Out roadshow will tour the North West from 10th August until 11th September 2010 and is supported by a five-week TV campaign organised jointly with Fresh – Smokefree North East. To view the TV add visit www.take7stepsout.co.uk
For further information on this campaign please contact Louise Tolan, louise.tolan@smokefreenorthwest.org.uk / 0161 238 6380
