- en
Utrecht’s plan to make its playgrounds smoke-free
The municipality of Utrecht, led by mayor Sharon Dijksma, has launched a new project aimed at securing a healthier and safer playing environment for its youngest residents.
According to the official website of the city of Utrecht, numerous children in Utrecht indicated that they find it annoying when people smoke on playgrounds.
In order to make sure their voices are heard, the municipality of Utrecht looked for a way for children to also be involved in this project. Primary school children have been asked to come up with a mascot and a slogan in order to contribute to making public playgrounds in the city smoke-free.
Every youngster in Utrecht aged 6 to 12 has been invited to create a mascot or a clever slogan advocating smoke-free playgrounds. The winning ideas are then turned into mascots that can be found on the playgrounds around the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
The call will be publicized via a mailing to elementary schools, posters across the city, and social media. From June 1st, the winning mascots will be visible on the playgrounds.
The Utrecht children’s wishes coincide with Alderman Eelco Eerenberg’s vision for public health.
“Because seeing smoking often leads to smoking. Children come first and that is precisely why we make places where they come smoke-free. Such as the managed playgrounds, petting zoos, museums and bus stops in our city. It is now time for the next step and who better to help us with this step than the children themselves,” Eereberg stated.
The Netherlands has recently been taking various measures in order to discourage smoking. The Dutch government also aims to have a smoke-free generation by 2040, meaning that no young person will smoke. (photo credit: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)
