Football coaches, players and spectators in the Inverness Street League are signing a pledge to stub out smoking while on official club duty.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC have also backed the “Smokefree Sports” initiative, after it was re-launched by NHS Highland yesterday.
The scheme aims to create smoke-free environments for youngsters to play sport, discouraging them from taking-up the habit, and urging smokers to quit.
NHS Highland’s senior health promotion specialist Susan Birse said: “It is vitally important that we support young people to make positive choices about their health.
“By getting many of the local football clubs to pledge their support, we hope to encourage people to think about quitting or not starting smoking.
“It’s wonderful that Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are backing the Smokefree Sports initiative, as they are such an active part of the community in Inverness, and many youngsters look-up to the first team players.
“A word of encouragement from any of the players at the club can resonate further with young people, and we look forward to working in partnership with the club and Inverness Street League to promote this vital health message.”
Danny MacDonald, a Caley-Jags coach, was on-hand at Inverness Royal Academy yesterday to award prizes to the winner of a competition between S1, 2 and 3 pupils to design a logo for the campaign.”
“Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club is delighted to be involved with the Smokefree Sports initiative,” he said.
“It’s important that we create smoke-free environments for young people to play sport in.
“At professional level, smoking tobacco has been banned in stadiums for a number of years, and it is important we encourage coaches and parents to refrain from smoking when watching their children play football or any other sport.
“We all have a role to play in setting a good example for our young people to follow, and it would be great if it encouraged people to stop smoking along the way.”
Originally launched in 2013, the Smokefree Sports initiative was the first of its kind in Scotland.
It focused on football and had many youth clubs across the Highland capital signed up to create smoke-free environments for youngsters to play the beautiful game.
