Mayo Sports Partnership and the Healthy Mayo Initiative are hoping to complete a pilot programme which would see school gates across the country become smoking-free zones.
Deirdre Donnelly, co-ordinator of Healthy Mayo which is being trialled in Ballina until the end of March, gave a presentation to members of the Ballina Municipal District earlier this week.
The group plan to roll out a number of initatives throughout the county if they are successfully trialled in the North Mayo town and one of those is to make school gates Tobacco free.
According to Deirdre Donnelly this would mean creating a zone around the gates of a school, particularly during drop off and collection times, where people would not be allowed to smoke either on the street or in their car.
The initative is currently being trialled at the Quay National School in Ballina with students being asked to create posters which it is hoped will become official signage around the school.
It is also hoped that a winning design could become a flag, similar to the green and blue flags flying at schools, which schools around the country would then look to achieve.
Councillors in attendance voiced their approval for the idea and commended the Mayo Sports Partnership for the initiative, wishing it all the success and offering help where needed.
