Down principal joins call to ban smoking at school gates

St Caolan's Primary School in Darragh Cross backs Asthma + Lung UK NI's call to ban smoking at school gates. Principal Sean McVeigh joined the charity in urging a smokefree perimeter around schools and nurseries. The charity's survey found 68.6% of the public supports such a ban, underscoring growing demand ahead of World No Tobacco Day. McVeigh stressed that children deserve to learn in a smoke-free environment, noting developing lungs are especially vulnerable to tobacco smoke and air pollution, particularly for those with asthma. Asthma + Lung UK NI is pressing for a package of measures, including a levy on tobacco firms to fund a Smokefree Fund and ring-fenced cessation programmes. The charity also calls for smokefree and vape-free spaces around schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and GP practices, and for the Northern Ireland Executive to set a 2035 smoke-free target of less than 5% adult smoking, aligning with other parts of the British Isles. It advocates updating the Tobacco Control strategy, delivering a regional lung screening programme, and launching a Lung Health Strategy for NI, with Joseph Carter urging action.