Smokefree Canterbury

Smokefree Canterbury is a collection of agencies working cooperatively towards a smoke-free Canterbury and New Zealand. In April 2008, they sponsored a three month trial in Hornby to make children’s playgrounds smoke-free. They wanted to gauge community support for the program and assess the likelihood of voluntary compliance. The results of the trial would be used to support a call for citywide smoke-free parks.
Missing Link worked on three components:

•    communicating the smoke-free playgrounds message to the local community
•    implementing a YouTube contest for Hornby children
•    managing May 2008’s World Smokefree Day festival.

The key, positive message reinforced in each component – ‘Be a Smokefree Role Model’ – achieved high visibility through promotional wristbands, stickers, and posters.

We provided media relations to raise awareness of all components; extensive print, TV, and radio coverage was achieved. The YouTube contest, which generated more than 2,700 video views during the project, gave children a direct voice in the campaign and sold the story to the media.
Partially due to media attention, festival attendance swelled; Smokefree Canterbury exceeded their public opinion survey quota through the festival, gaining ample support for their citywide smoke-free parks Council proposal.

In June 2009, the Council made all playgrounds as well as all parks, reserves, and Council-owned events smokefree. They cited community support for the Hornby trial as a main reason for doing so.

Click here to see the Smokefree Playgrounds feature on Campbell Live.