The 'Health and Wellbeing' members of the Foróige Knocknacarra Youth Development have launched a new air freshener which they have created to highlight the issue of passive smoking in cars. This project was done as part of the X-HALE Youth awards, an initiative created by the Irish Cancer Society which has set out to encourage young people to address the issue of smoking in their own communities.
A car wash, hosted by youth group members was held in Knocknacarra as part of the launch. The Foróige Knocknacarra Youth Development Group received a grant of €3,500 to develop the project and is one of the 14 groups around the country who have been supported by the Irish Cancer Society's X-HALE Youth Awards initiative. More than €50,000 has been awarded to groups by the Society to roll out smoking-related community awareness projects.
Foróige Knocknacarra youth worker Dawn Lally said: "We are thrilled to lauch his new air freshener anc congratulate our young members on their achievement in bringing their concept to life while also raising awareness around passive smoking in cars. This launch follows months of hard work by the young women themselves and we are proud by their commitment in highlighting the issue of smoking."
The health promotion officer from the Irish Cancer Society, Eimear Cotter cmmente on the event : "The Foróige Knocknacarra Youth Development Group have successfully engaged with the public around the issue of passive smoking in cars. This is a very important issue, an opinion share by the minister for Health James Reilly who recently stated a commitment to look into this. We need to get more young people working together to empower each other on projects like these. Through project like X-HALE, we hope to bring down the rates of young people smoking in Ireland."
The air freshener is available from Foróige Knocknacarra Youth Development Project on 091-580900 and will also be on sale in local shops in Knocknacarra.
