Primary School Filmmakers Highlight Second Hand Smoke Damage

PRESS RELEASE

PRIMARY SCHOOL FILMMAKERS HIGHLIGHT SECOND HAND SMOKE DAMAGE

SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EXPERTS CALL FOR INCREASED FOCUS ON THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF TOBACCO ON PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
600,000 KILLED BY SECOND HAND SMOKE GLOBALLY EVERY YEAR

23 September 2016: A film made by a group of 10 and 11 year olds about the harm caused by second hand smokehas won a national competition as part of Scotland’s involvement in World Environmental Health Day on the 26th of September.

Ten years on from the introduction of the smoking ban in Scotland, the competition, run by The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS), was aimed at raising awareness of the importance that continued tobacco control has on public and environmental health.

The pupils from P6 and P7 at Blacklands Primary School in Kilwinning were announced as the winner by REHISfor their creative video showing the effects of second hand smoke. As well as picking up the top prize the school received £1,000.

This year the International Federation of Environmental Health’s World Environmental Health Day will focus on the global impact of smoking as a major public health and environmental health issue.

Smoking, and the use of tobacco, is the primary cause of preventable illness and death resulting in six million people being killed globally every year with 10% (600,000) dying from second-hand smoke. There is clear evidence to link tobacco to lung cancer but there is also evidence of an association with cancer of the kidney, cancer of the larynx and head and neck, breast cancer, bladder, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach cancer. About a half of all life-long smokers will die prematurely and on average cigarette smokers die 10 years younger than nonsmokers.

Martin Keeley, REHIS tobacco and health spokesperson, said: “The impact of second hand smoke on public health is devastating and contributes to 600,000 deaths a year across the world. World Environmental Health Day’smain aim this year is to keep tobacco control at the forefront of people’s minds and to remind them of the overwhelming harm tobacco brings to society.

“The Institute and local authority environmental health officers in Scotland have played a crucial role in the effective implementation of the smoking ban over the last ten years but there remains many other facets of tobacco control that we need to keep on top of and to focus our attention. Some of those include smoking in cars with child passengers, plain packaging for cigarettes as well as the illicit trade in tobacco products in general. There are of course global issues to address too including the human impact on the child labour used to pick it as well as the environmental impact from deforestation and climate change.

“Congratulaions go to the very impressive pupils at Blacklands Primary School who spent time learning about the impact of second hand smoke and then producing a very informative film after that.”

Elaine McNeil, Headteacher at Blacklands Primary said: “I’m incredibly proud of our pupils for their hard work and dedication throughout this project. Our entire school is delighted that they have received this recognition - they truly deserve it.

“The group hada lot of fun producing their own DVD, but more importantly, during the process they have become specialists in the dangers of second-hand smoke and are proudly spreading the word to their friends and family.”

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Issued on behalf of REHIS by Wave PR Ltd. For further information please contact Jonathan Kennedy on 0141-225-0400

Notes to editors:

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (the Institute) has been in existence for almost 140 years and has around one thousand members, the majority of whom are Environmental Health Officers working in that capacity for Scottish local authorities. The Institute is Incorporated by Royal Charter, is an independent self-financing organisation, is an independent awarding body for the profession and for a wide range of community training qualifications, and is a registered Scottish charity (No. SC009406). The Institute neither seeks nor receives grant aid and its charitable activities are funded significantly by the subscriptions received from its members.

The objects for which the Institute is established are for the benefit of the community to promote the advancement of Environmental Health by:

•stimulating interest in and disseminating knowledge concerning Environmental Health;

•promoting education and training in matters relating to Environmental Health; and

•maintaining, by examination or otherwise, high standards of professional practice and conduct on the part of Environmental Health Officers in Scotland.

Environmental Health Officers in Scotland are part of a graduate only profession and by virtue of their under-pinning academic education, professional practical training, professional qualifications and experience are well placed to apply a holistic public health approach to the education of the public and to the enforcement of a wide range of environmental and public health legislation.

The Institute is an independent awarding body for the profession and currently accredits the BSc (Hons) Environmental Health degree courses delivered at the University of the West of Scotland as well as the MSc Environmental Health degree courses delivered at the University of Derby (distance learning option). Environmental Health students, graduate and under-graduate, who wish to pursue a career as an Environmental Health Officer require to undertake a period of professional practical training and to successfully complete the Institute’s Professional Examination which determines their professional competence to practice.

In terms of EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of Professional Qualifications within Member States and under the European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2007 the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland is a UK Competent Authority for the Profession titles Environmental Health Officer and Chartered Environmental Health Officer.