NHS Lanarkshire’s Health Improvement Team has been working with families across Lanarkshire to share a range of fun and interactive activities, inspired by the NHS Jenny and the Bear programme.
Jenny and the Bear, an engaging children’s story designed to encourage smoke-free homes, provide parents and carers with practical information to help protect children from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
The team combined family-friendly fun with vital health education through a series of community events held across Lanarkshire. These included teddy bear picnics, stay-and-play sessions, fun exercise activities, and special visits from the beloved bear.
To extend the programme’s reach, every primary school in Lanarkshire was invited to receive Jenny and the Bear resource packs for their Primary One classes at the start of the 2024 school year.
These packs help deliver a classroom lesson around the story, with children then taking the book home to share with parents and carers. The packs -containing books, lesson plans, and certificates – were delivered to 71 Lanarkshire schools. This invitation will be repeated for the new summer intakes.
Gillian Lindsay, Health Improvement Lead – South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Feedback from families has been overwhelmingly positive, with parents telling us how approachable and engaging the sessions were.
“Children especially loved meeting the bear mascot, while parents valued the clear and supportive information provided.
“By combining fun activities in the community with educational resources in schools, we’ve been able to help families learn about the importance of creating smoke-free homes in a way that really connects with them.
“The Jenny and the Bear programme is an important part of our ongoing work to protect children from second-hand smoke, reduce health inequalities, and empower families to take practical steps towards healthier living.”
Fiona McLean, Health Improvement Senior – Quit Your Way, NHS Lanarkshire, added: “Second-hand smoke is harmful to everyone’s health, even pets, but it’s especially harmful to babies, children and pregnant women.
“Children are especially vulnerable to second-hand smoke as their lungs and immune systems are still developing, making them breathe faster. This means, they inhale more toxic chemicals from tobacco smoke than adults.
“As part of our commitment to creating a smoke-free future for children, we’re proud to work alongside our Health Improvement colleagues to deliver community-based initiatives that help reduce barriers and support families to create smoke-free environments.”
Quit Your Way is a free NHS stop smoking service. To find out more about second-hand smoke or more information on stop smoking services, call the Quit Your Way helpline on 0800 84 84 84 or visit QuitYourWay.scot.
Quit Your Way can be contacted Monday – Friday from 9am until 5pm.
You can also visit your local Community Pharmacy for FREE stop smoking support.
