Cambridgeshire Club joins county-wide campaign to protect young athletes from second-hand smoke and promote healthy habits in sport.
Leverington Sports Club has taken a bold step toward creating a healthier environment for young athletes by joining the Smokefree Sidelines initiative in Cambridgeshire. This campaign, funded by Cambridgeshire County Council, aims to make grassroots sports across the county a smoke-free zone, ensuring that children can play and thrive without exposure to harmful second-hand smoke.
The Smokefree Sidelines initiative encourages clubs to adopt a smokefree sidelines policy to create family-friendly sports environments. It educates smokers about the impact of visible smoking on children and young people and urges supporters to refrain from smoking or vaping during matches or move to designated child-free areas.
Leverington Sports Club’s Commitment to a Smoke-Free Future
“We signed up to Smokefree Sidelines because we believe every child deserves a healthy environment to play and grow. Setting a positive example from the sidelines helps create a smoke-free future for our next generation.” – Matt Warren, Vice Chairman
Why Parents Support Smokefree Sports Sidelines
We caught up with parents, carers, and team volunteers to hear their thoughts on the club’s decision to become a proud Smokefree Sidelines supporter and the response was resoundingly positive. There was a real sense of enthusiasm and support for the move, with many welcoming it as a brilliant step towards creating a healthier, happier matchday environment. People spoke passionately about the value of setting a positive example for young players and celebrating a club culture that puts wellbeing front and centre. Overall, the feedback reflected a shared pride in the club’s leadership and its commitment to making sport an even more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
“It’s a great idea, both to help kids avoid breathing in anything harmful and to support adults in quitting smoking or vaping.”
“It’s fantastic to see clubs taking steps to keep kids safe and healthy while enjoying sports.”
“I want my kids to grow up loving sports and staying active – they shouldn’t have to breathe in second-hand smoke while playing or watching games.”
Research on Role Models and Smoking Habits in Youth Sports
Research from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) consistently shows that the behaviours children see from the adults around them play a powerful role in shaping their own choices. National evidence indicates that children whose parents or carers smoke are around four times more likely to take up smoking themselves, and early teens living with a main caregiver who smokes are more than twice as likely to have tried cigarettes than those in smokefree households. Crucially, most adult smokers begin before the age of 18, highlighting how strongly early exposure and role modelling influence lifelong habits. [gov.uk]
Building on this evidence, the Smokefree Sidelines initiative encourages coaches, parents, carers, and spectators to avoid smoking or vaping during youth sport activities. By removing smoking and vaping from the sidelines, clubs help to reduce the visibility and normalisation of these behaviours at a time when young people are especially impressionable. This creates an environment where healthy choices feel normal, positive role models are clearly visible, and children can fully focus on enjoying sport without unnecessary distractions or exposure to harmful behaviours.
Keeping sidelines smokefree also supports wider public health goals by protecting children from second‑hand smoke and reinforcing the message that sport and wellbeing go hand in hand. In doing so, clubs help foster a more welcoming, family‑friendly atmosphere while actively contributing to the prevention of smoking uptake among the next generation. The goal is to create an environment where positive habits feel normal, distractions are reduced, and young people can focus on enjoying sport in a space that genuinely supports their well-being. By keeping the sidelines smokefree, clubs help reinforce healthy choices, protect children from exposure to harmful behaviours, and contribute to a more welcoming, family‑friendly sporting atmosphere.
Want to get involved?
If your club is interested in signing up or would like to find out more, please check out our Smokefree Sidelines page! Together we can create safer smoke-free environments for everyone across Cambridgeshire.
