Teachers get anti-smoking toolkit

Children as young as 10 smoke

Leicester City Primary Care Trust has linked up with the Healthy Schools Initiative to launch a toolkit to help youngsters stop smoking.

Health professionals in Leicestershire have estimated that a quarter of children under the age of 16 smoke.

Louise Ross from the City Stop Smoking Service said tests conducted in Leicester last year indicated pupils as young as 10 are smoking.

Ms Ross said twice as many 15-year-old girls as boys smoke.

"They (girls) think that it's going to keep their weight down, but what they haven't perhaps switched on to is the effect it has on your looks longer term - teeth, skin, hair are all damaged by smoking.

Harmful habit

"Part of what this toolkit does is raise awareness that smoking is not just a harmless lifestyle choice... it is actually addictive and very harmful long term."

Two training sessions were held on Thursday for school nurses, teachers and learning mentors from senior schools in Leicester - and toolkits were handed out.

The toolkits are information packs with a how-to guide for schools on raising awareness about smoking and helping youngsters quit.

Ms Ross added there would be ongoing support for schools and colleges.