Last Wednesday was No Smoking Day on Salford Precinct, and community artist Hannah Marshall created an eagle sculpture from empty cig packets donated by Salford people.
Meanwhile, a team from NHS Salford Legends Stop Smoking Service spent hours handing out goody bags and trying to persuade Precinct shoppers to think about packing in smoking.
Over 30% of Salford's population still smoke and the eagle creation was the culmination of a long campaign to get people to quit and become `Salford legends'.
One of the Legends team trying to sign up Salfordians to stop smoking was Jay who said most smokers he had spoke to wanted to quit but found it very hard…
"We ask smokers if they would like to try to give up but most have tried without any help" he explained "This is about getting help and support while trying to stop smoking so hopefully it will have more of an affect."
The eagle certainly had the visual effect of drawing people into the campaign, and smokers were invited to help complete the work of art by sticking part of their donated cig boxes onto its body.
"It's an interactive art project and we've got a bin full of cigarette packet donations" said the eagle's creator Hannah Marshall "The idea is that you join in with the non smoking amnesty, hand in your cigarette packets and find out how to get some help with not smoking. Then all the cigarette packets get strapped to the frame of the eagle to make the sculpture. The eagle symbolises freedom and having a long life. We haven't got a name for him yet, maybe Edmund the eagle?"
Salford's Stop Smoking Services advisors can be contacted at 0161 212 4050 or you can text: QUIT with your name and postcode to 81066
Find other advice at www.salfordlegends.com
See also previous Salford Star article on the Salford Legends campaign: click here
See more of Hannah Marshall's art by clicking here
Photos by TJS
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