The Smokebusters Club

‘Smokebusters’ are members of an exclusive club for young people aged 9-11 years who have chosen to reject smoking and promote health. The campaign is organised in Northern Ireland by the Ulster Cancer Foundation and is supported by the NHSSB.

Aims and Objectives
The ‘Smokebusters’ campaign is not a campaign against smokers. It is a campaign against smoking and the harm it causes to health.

It has the following aims:

• Encouraging young people to reject the smoking habit by increasing their defences against pressures to experiment with cigarettes.
  
• Providing a means of getting information directly to young people about the harmful consequences of smoking.
  
• Promoting fun ways of involving young people in activities to create a ‘smoke-free’ environment in their school, their home and the community.

How it works
Group ‘Smokebusters’ Membership (Available to P6 and P7 classes)

• Annual Membership is FREE!
  
  
• The Class Teacher enrols his/her class
  
  
• Teachers will receive a starter pack containing:
  • Teacher’s Notes
  • Classroom resources
  • Smokebusters newsletters
  • Stickers
  • Membership cards – one for each pupil
    
    
• Regular communication throughout the year includes:
  • Extra resources & materials
  • A second newsletter for each pupil
  • News of special events, competition & local activities

Pictured at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra is the Smokebusters No Smoking Day competition winners. Included in the photograph are Loretta Murphy from the Smokebusters Club, Miss Boal (P6 Teacher) and Joanna Fyffe from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Evaluation Results
Research from the University of Ulster into the Northern Ireland Smokebusters programme shows that active membership of Smokebusters may produce a pupil who is more receptive to anti-smoking messages and, significantly, more likely to be a non-smoker.

Teachers Pack
The award-winning Smokebusters Teacher’s Pack was developed in 2003/04 with the assistance of the NHSSB. It has been distributed to primary schools across the Board area and training in its use has been offered to P6/7 teachers, Health Education Co-ordinators and School Nurses.

Please encourage teachers to join the Smokebusters Club today. They must rejoin every year in order to continue to receive their free resource packs. Specially adapted materials are now available for Irish medium primary schools.

Enrolment Details
Enrolling any Primary 6/7 classes is easy by simply visiting the website or by telephone: