In Devon 13.5% of adults smoke – the vast majority of these smokers started before they were 18 years old. If we are to achieve a smokefree culture it is vital that we educate young people about why they should avoid smoking.
Education
There are a range of national resources available to support schools – The latest Rise Above resources from Public Health England form part of an evidence-based programme which provides lesson plans and education resources for Key Stage 3 and 4.
These school resources including an interactive ‘pick-a-path’ video and peer-to-peer discussion activities can be used to encourage students to explore the reasons why they should not choose to smoke and how to deal with associated peer pressure. Download resources from the PHE campaign resources website including:
- Smoking lesson plan PDF
- E-cigarettes teacher support sheet PDF
- PowerPoint for use in class
‘Rise Above for Schools’ resources are available to help teach a range of PSHE curriculum topics. They contain flexible lesson plans with ready-to-use Powerpoint presentations. Content has been co-created with teachers and 11 to 16-year-olds.
Supporting young people to quit
Devon Public Health commission local Stop Smoking Services which help smokers to quit. The service is able to provide smoking cessation support to young people aged 12 and above. Find out more here.