This is the fourth time the Awards have been organised. Due to the coronavirus crisis, the ceremony scheduled for earlier this year did not take place. To ensure that no initiatives miss out, entries from 2019 and 2020 are eligible for the Awards.

Positive developments

The social movement ‘On the way to a Smoke-Free Generation’ is an initiative of the Dutch Lung Foundation, the Dutch Heart Foundation and the Dutch Cancer Society and continues to grow. The number of smoke-free sports clubs, petting zoos and playgrounds is growing rapidly, and the number of municipalities committed to becoming smoke-free is increasing significantly. More and more companies are also working towards a Smoke-Free Generation by stopping the sale of tobacco or no longer investing in the tobacco industry. These are all important steps that are helping to make ‘smoke-free’ increasingly the norm, so that we can protect children from the harmful effects of smoking and passive smoking.

“We are curious to see which inspiring actions will be eligible for the coveted Smoke-Free Generation Awards this year. We are looking for the best initiatives that encourage children to grow up smoke-free,” says Longfonds director Michael Rutgers, chair of the Health Funds for Smoke-Free and chair of the jury for the Smoke-Free Generation Awards.

Register initiatives

Schools are one of the categories in the Smoke-Free Generation Awards. The other categories are: businesses, municipalities, individuals/children, play and recreation, sports clubs and healthcare. Initiatives will be selected from all the entries, and the public will be able to vote on them from mid-February. Public votes count for 50 per cent of the final result, with the other 50 per cent awarded by the jury. The ceremony will comply with the coronavirus measures in force at that time.

The schools that previously won the Smoke-Free Generation Awards were:

  • MBO College Zuidoost Amsterdam (2019)
  • Stedelijk Lyceum Kottenpark Enschede (2018)
  • Martinuscollege from Grootebroek (2017)

Register here for the Smoke-Free Generation Awards.

Photo: The winners of the Smoke-Free Generation Awards in 2019.