Mansfield is the smoking capital of the county.

Recent figures show that Mansfield has the highest proportion of smokers of anywhere in Nottinghamshire, with one in four people indulging in the habit. Now, Nottinghamshire County Council are trying a new approach to encourage people to quit.

The Smokefree Life campaign uses music and children's entertainers to spread the message in a unique way, and has been arranged by Councillor Joyce Bosnjak. Cllr Bosnjak said “there's a really serious message behind the fun. Over 300 people die each year in Mansfield through smoking, which is well above the national average, so we've got to do something about it.”

“Prevention is better than cure in these cases, so we're now looking to go into schools – if you start smoking at an early age, you're more likely to be a lifelong smoker, so it's important to spread the message at the earliest opportunity.”

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