Snap the Cig winners 2018

Seven local primary schools have each won a new iPad in our ‘Snap the Cig’ 2018 photo competition.

Congratulations to Hillcroft Special School, Newtownabbey, Portrush PS, Brackenagh West PS in Kilkeel, St Patrick’s Ballynahinch, St Joseph’s, Crumlin, Rasharkin PS and Cooley PS, Omagh. This is the second year that Brackenagh West has scooped an iPad.

Hundreds of primary school pupils entered the competition which Cancer Focus NI organised with the support of the Public Health Agency (PHA) as part of the multi-agency Tobacco Control strategy in Northern Ireland

The aim of the competition was to encourage as many children as possible to take part in the campaign for a smokefree future. Entrants were asked to snap a photo on the themes of smokefree cars, smokefree grounds or stopping smoking.

A selection of the photos are displayed here www.cancerfocusni.org/snap-the-cig and on our Facebook, @cancerfocusni

Gerry McElwee, Head of Cancer Prevention at Cancer Focus NI, said: “Congratulations to all the winners. We were delighted with the enthusiasm and creativity of the young people who are all members of our Smokebusters programme. We can clearly see that many are aware of the dangers of smoking and the benefits of staying smokefree, which is excellent news.

“This is such an important subject and this competition is a first-class way to make the children think about some of the issues and encourage them to stay away from cigarettes.”

Des Garland, Health and Wellbeing Improvement Officer with the PHA, said: “Many smokers began smoking in their teens or younger, so it’s extremely important to discourage young people from starting to smoke in the first place.

“It is our hope that through programmes like Smokebusters and by working with our colleagues in education we can reduce the number of children that may start smoking, and increase awareness of the negative effects of smoking and tobacco products. This is one part of a multi-faceted approach to reducing harm from tobacco.”

If you would like Cancer Focus NI to visit your school with any of its education programmes including Smokebusters please call the charity on 028 9066 3281, email schools@cancerfocusni.org.

For more information on our competition email snapthecig@cancerfocusni.org or call 028 9066 3281.