Smoke Free Play Areas – Three Rivers
Introduction
As part of the revised Tobacco Control action plan for Watford and Three Rivers an action has
been included to normalise play areas as smoke free. This bid seeks the budget to install signage
across all play areas maintained by Three Rivers District Council as smoke free areas.
Detail
The purpose of providing advisory signage in play areas as smoke free is:
 To reduce children’s exposure to second hand smoke
 To reduce children’s exposure to the image of adults smoking, and the potential to
encourage them to take up smoking
 To increase public expectation that public areas will be smoke free
Similar schemes have been run in North Herts, and in Hertsmere. There are 26 play areas across
Three Rivers that are managed directly by Three Rivers District Council. Other play areas are
owned and managed by parish councils or housing providers. Three Rivers DC is not in a position
to direct operations on these other sites but can lead by example.
In order to install signage across all of the Three Rivers sites signs of the value of £1989 are
required to place 2 A3 signs on each of the sites. There is no budget for this at present and in the
current financial climate, funding may not be prioritised for such an initiative when budget cuts are
being considered.
In order to secure support for the project the Health and Wellbeing Partnership is asked to allocate
the budget for the production of the signage. Installation costs will be met by Three Rivers District
Council.
Expected Outcomes:
 The ability to publicise the initiative and create a public dialogue about smoke free play
areas
Karl Stonebank
Partnerships Officer, TRDC