• This initiative is launched with the Canary Lung Cancer Foundation (FCCP) to promote health and well-being

Promoting healthier environments for attendees, employees, and exhibitors is the goal of Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, which is now positioned as a Smoke-Free Space. It is the first fairground in the archipelago to do so and a national benchmark in this aspect.

The president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales; the founder and president of the Canary Lung Cancer Foundation (FCCP) and head of Oncology at the Insular Maternal and Child University Hospital Complex (CHUIMI), Delvys Rodríguez; the founder and director of the FCCP, Wendy López-Trejo; the councillor of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, and Crafts of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Minerva Alonso; and the general director of Infecar, Natalia Santana, presented this Tuesday, May 28, this initiative that works on the transformation of public use spaces, workplaces, and representative locations in cities into Smoke-Free Spaces.

“In Spain, fairgrounds are moving towards stricter policies to become completely smoke-free zones, at least during certain events or in significant parts of their facilities,” Morales noted, adding that tobacco “is the cause of death of more than 50,000 people a year and the cause of 82% of lung cancers. It is undeniable that it has direct consequences on the health of those who consume it actively and passively, and it is our duty to work to contribute to more people quitting smoking.”

Thus, with the support of the Canary Lung Cancer Foundation, Infecar becomes the first fairground to be designated as a Smoke-Free Space (SFS), which in practice means that smoking will not be recommended in the exterior areas of the venue; it will be indicated with informational signage in these areas and in the semi-covered zones that we are in a smoke-free space, and the benefits of quitting smoking will be promoted.

In addition to all this, as Antonio Morales indicated, in fairs and events of a more social nature, “Infecar and the FCCP will carry out reinforcement campaigns with prevention and health promotion workshops, as well as working hand in hand with their employees, offering personalized support for those who want to quit smoking.”

To communicate Infecar’s adhesion as a Smoke-Free Space, an awareness campaign has been developed under smoke-free spaces full of life. “We all know that smoking seriously harms health, but it seems that it is sometimes forgotten that it is also harmful to those around us. Our commitment as a public entity is to work to create a healthier, more respectful, cleaner, and safer environment,” Morales stated.

The Canary Lung Cancer Foundation (FCCP)

The Canary Lung Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote cancer research in the Canary Islands, improve the quality of life of people diagnosed with lung cancer, actively fight against smoking, and raise awareness about this disease.

As a Foundation, “we have to support those who want to quit smoking and their entire environment, and for this, initiatives of joint work with major institutions, such as Infecar, are fundamental, representing an opportunity to promote smoking cessation,” assured Delvys Rodríguez.

Since its inception, the FCCP has been developing and promoting essential initiatives and projects for prevention and awareness about the effects of smoking, especially among young people and the smoking population. “The challenge we face is to ensure that young people do not start smoking. The Canary Islands is one of the top three autonomous communities in Spain where people start smoking at an earlier age, and vaping is a real threat to health,” Wendy López-Trejo pointed out.