Smoke free me – tobacco education initiative in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Author and presenter:
Kirsten Donald
Health Improvement Practitioner (Smoke Free Schools), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, UK

Abstract
Smoke Free Me is a tobacco education initiative run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Each primary school in the board area is offered the scheme once every three years, ensuring every child is given the opportunity to participate.

Targeting primaries five, six and seven, lesson plans liked to the Curriculum for Excellence and covering issues such as effects on the body of smoking, cigarette ingredients, peer pressure and smoke free communities are sent to schools so that teachers can easily incorporate the topics into class time. Schools are then visited by the PACE Theatre Company who deliver a workshop with primary seven classes who then participate in a ‘Smoke Free Me’ play which is watched by the rest of the classes. The production aims to reinforce the learning outcomes of the lesson packs.

The initiative has continued to maintain high levels of participation across the board area with over 90% of primary schools participating in the programme in 2009/10.

In presenting this piece of work it would be of worth to have the PACE Theatre Company perform part of the play in order to illustrate to delegates how the programme engages young people with the tobacco education messages.

Source of funding: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Declaration of interest: none

About the presenter
Kirsten Donald works for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as a Health Improvement Practitioner and has responsibility for delivery of tobacco education initiatives in both primary and secondary schools across the board area as well working to develop and support the tobacco youth advocacy group W-WEST.