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Developing plans for a smoke-free Doncaster

Doncaster Council plan to discourage smoking in public places as part of their aim for the town to become smoke-free.

A new strategy is being drawn up which will see a visible campaign asking people not to smoke in places like parks, playgrounds, hospital grounds, bus stops and outdoor eating & drinking establishments.

The proposals will be debated by councillors at the next Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on Thursday 5th September.

If approved, the plan is set to be delivered in 5 stages.  Voluntary smoking bans in the town centre and markets, plus a ban on sales of tobacco in markets are part of the final stage.  They’re also considering following Hull’s lead by banning parents smoking on the side-lines whilst watching children’s sports games.

Electronic cigarettes will also be included in the proposed smoke-free zones as council bosses say they are too new for the health impacts to fully understood.

It is estimated that 60,000 people (23.5%) in Doncaster still smoke.  Smoking is said to be the single biggest cause of premature deaths and widening health inequalities here.  It’s also estimated that each year smoking costs Doncaster £50.7m in lost productivity.

Council health chiefs stressed the smoke-free zones will be voluntary and the whole strategy is more about ‘changing social norms’

 

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Mary Vickers moved to North East Lincolnshire in 2010, from the Wiltshire/Hampshire border, to become Urban and Industrial Chaplain NELincs. Made redundant in 2017, she's maintained many of her connections within the business, faith, and other local communities. She's also decided to stay here rather than return to either the south or her husband's native Yorkshire, so that she can continue to enjoy and help promote the positives of NELincs.

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