|
A campaign is being launched in Clacton next week in a bid
to get people to give up smoking and reduce cigarette litter in the
Town Centre.
The initiative is a joint effort between Tendring District
Council (TDC), the Colchester and Tendring NHS Stop Smoking
Service, the Interaction Partnership, shops and restaurants.
A special event is being staged on March 12 - National No
Smoking Day - and an exhibition van will be stationed on the new
Clacton Town Square near the water fountain.
North East Essex Primary Care Trust staff will be on hand to
dish out advice on how to quit and carry out carbon monoxide
testing. Leaflets and a range of other freebees aimed at getting
the message across will also be given out.
Joanne Rogers, Clacton Town Centre Manager, said the aim is to
raise awareness about both the effect that smoking can have on
people's health as well as the effect it has on the tidiness of the
environment.
"The whole idea of the day is to get people in Clacton to join
the millions of other smokers around the country to quit the
habit," she said.
"At the same time we are using the opportunity to tackle the
issue of cigarette litter in the Town Centre."
Mrs Rogers said that far too many people stub out and drop their
butts on the pavement.
"Customers of restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets and shops
often discard their butts outside before going into a premises - or
on forecourts outside where food is served," she said.
"Smokers may not be aware but under the Environmental Protection
Act 1990 disposing of cigarette butts in this way constitutes
litter for which they can be fined £75."
TDC's Community Wardens, the Council's Smoke Free Officer Peter
Cook and Mrs Rogers will be out and about encouraging people to
visit the exhibition and explaining about the £75 Fixed Penalty
Notices.
There will be an amnesty on March 12 and no one will be fined
for dropping butts as part of the initiative to raise
awareness.
The campaign is also providing free portable pink and blue
ashtrays to cafes, restaurants and takeaway outlets in Clacton Town
Centre to give away to customers to promote both the cleanliness
and quit smoking message.
"This really is a team effort and we hope that it will make
people think about their own health and that of the environment,"
added Mrs Rogers.
"We have already had a good response from food outlets prepared
to give out the free ashtrays and we hope to make a significant
impact on March 12." |