Mural unveiled to celebrate Barnsley’s first smoke-free high street

Research carried out in 2019 revealed that 96 per cent of people choose not to smoke on Hoyland High Street.

The mural was unveiled on the side of the Heron building today (October 1), to mark the beginning of stoptober – an NHS 28-day stop smoking challenge.

The occasion was marked with a celebration event, with Hoyland community choir providing music, and a number of health-related stalls were set up around the market.

Unveiling the artwork, councillor Jim Andrews BEM, deputy leader of the council and chair of the health and wellbeing board, said: “This is a very positive step towards our wider agenda of making smoking invisible, and inspire a smoke-free generation.

“I’m pleased that Hoyland High Street is the first in Barnsley, and I’m confident that his intervention will be a success, and we can roll it out to other high streets across the borough.

“I am pleased to unveil the mural, created by Ben Mosley.”

Councillor Robin Franklin, who represents the Hoyland Milton Ward, added: “Barnsley has already made great strides to support this agenda by sucessfully implementing a number of smoke-free areas across the borough.

“The implementation of Hoyland as a voluntary smoke-free high street adds to the ambition to inspire a smoke-free generation.”

Dave Jones, from the the office for health improvement and disparities congratulated the council and people of Hoyland, adding that the scheme is: “absolutely brilliant to see.”

Kaye Mann, public health specialist practitioner at Barnsley Council said: “Unfortunately, more people die each year of smoking, than they did of Covid last year.

“Smokers are 80 per cent more likely to be hospitalised with Covid than non-smokers.

“The two main things smoking causes health wise is coronary heart disease and cancer.

“If we do help people to quit, we will help to save lives. Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, and there’s lots of support available.”

For help to quit smoking, visit the stoptober and smokefree Yorkshire websites at : https://barnsley.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/