Son en Breugel has taken up the challenge to offer smoke- and vape-free bus shelters in 2025, at least within its municipal boundaries. That is why aldermen Jan Boersma and Steven Grevink unveiled the first tile on Monday, with the text ‘Smoke-free, on the way to a smoke-free generation’.
Initiative
The campaign is an initiative of the three Brabant GGD departments and Health Funds for Smoke-Free. In collaboration with the province of Noord-Brabant, the ambition has been expressed for smoke-free public transport. “The government wants a smoke-free generation in 2040, and we would like to contribute to this. In Brabant, more than two thousand tiles have now been laid and, at least a thousand more will be added”.
Enthusiasm
While the professional paver removes the stones so that the special tile can be placed in front of the bus shelter at the Raadhuisplein in the centre of Son, a woman asks what is going on here. When she hears about a smoke-free generation, she responds enthusiastically. “I have stopped smoking and I wholeheartedly support this. Of course, it is easy for me to talk now, but smoking is simply bad for your health”.
Seeing is doing
According to Boersma, making bus stops smoke-free is the first step towards realising that smoke-free should be the norm. “You may be able to prevent young people from starting to smoke, because ‘seeing smoking makes you smoke’. It also prevents harmful passive smoking by travellers at bus stops, and you contribute to sustainability and a clean environment. And no more cigarette butts on the ground”.
Grevink emphasises that the municipality cannot take enforcement action, but that the stickers and tiles at the bus stops are a starting point for a conversation about smoking. Two girls are sitting on a bench on the Raadhuisplein. One of them is puffing on a vape. “It won’t make me smoke less, but I think it’s a good idea”, she says wisely.
E-cigarettes
Son en Breugel is one of the municipalities in this region participating in the campaign. Geldrop-Mierlo, for example, switched to smoke-free public transport earlier. It should be noted that this involves more than just smoking ‘normal’ tobacco products. “In recent years, we have also had to deal with the e-cigarette and other nicotine products.” These are also bad for your health!
“We have to make sure that young people are not tempted to start smoking,” Grevink and Boersma say in unison. “With smoke-free bus stops, we set a good example as adults and harmful passive smoking is prevented anyway”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Seetha
