Jena's colourful poster helps warn about dangers of smoking

A Pond Park Primary School pupil used her creative skills to design a prize-winning poster for national No Smoking Day on March 8.
Jena Magowan receives her prize from staff at MediCare Pharmacy, Market Lane, Lisburn. Pictured (l-r) are Zoe Templeman, Jena Magowan, Clare Hunter and Sheena McBride.Jena Magowan receives her prize from staff at MediCare Pharmacy, Market Lane, Lisburn. Pictured (l-r) are Zoe Templeman, Jena Magowan, Clare Hunter and Sheena McBride.
Jena Magowan receives her prize from staff at MediCare Pharmacy, Market Lane, Lisburn. Pictured (l-r) are Zoe Templeman, Jena Magowan, Clare Hunter and Sheena McBride.

Jena Magowan came up with the winning entry for 2017 and won a £50 iTunes card for herself and an iPad for her school. Each of the runners up in the competition received a £10 iTunes gift card.

The theme of this year’s MediCare No Smoking Day Poster Competition, which was open to P7 pupils across Northern Ireland, was ‘Be Proud to be a Quitter’.

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Jena’s winning poster was distributed and displayed across MediCare Pharmacy Group’s shops as their awareness poster for No Smoking Day 2017 (March 8).

The aim of the competition was to help raise awareness among children about the dangers of smoking.

“Statistically children whose siblings/relatives smoke will have a greater likelihood to start themselves and it has been seen through national statistics that almost 9,000 11-15 year old children start to smoke in Northern Ireland each year,” a MediCare spokesperson explained.

“This was an ideal opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking to the whole school body including the wider reach of family and friends and to explain that a very successful free Stop Smoking Service is available in MediCare and other community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

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“Peer-designed posters can have a bigger message impact and can offer an immediate, effective, direct, relevant and visual way for students to communicate to other students, friends and family the harmful effects of tobacco and to encourage them to stop.”

An estimated 100,000 people die every year in the UK due to smoking. It’s a shocking statistic, but for many people stopping smoking can be extremely difficult because of the addictiveness of nicotine.

However, every month in the UK, 4,000 people quit smoking with the help of the PHA Stop Smoking Service which is freely available to all smokers in community pharmacies. This involves a consultation with a pharmacist who can help create a unique programme of support for each smoker to dramatically improve your chances of stopping smoking.

According to the latest statistics, smokers who use both counselling and Nicotine Replacement Therapy products are eight times more likely to stay quit one year after setting their quit date.

For more information about the services community pharmacies provide, log on to www.askyourpharmacist.co.uk or call in to your local MediCare Pharmacy.

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