IT’S ALL of us versus cancer.” That’s the rallying cry from Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, who is urging his constituents to unite for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.
Joining fellow MPs at a Westminster event, he backed the charity’s call to join the fight against all cancers – by taking part in Race for Life, volunteering on the day or helping to raise vital funds.
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an amazing women-only series of events which raises millions of pounds every year for life-saving research into 200 types of cancer – helping men, women and children across the North East to survive.
As part of the fight against all cancers, Cancer Research UK is working to reduce the number of young people who start smoking – nearly 160,000 11 to 15 year olds – every year.
At the Westminster event, Mr Cunningham met experts who explained why Cancer Research UK is campaigning to give young people one less reason to start smoking by putting tobacco products in plain packaging – this means with no branding, so all packs look the same with big health warnings. Research shows glitzy tobacco packaging is attractive to young people.
On the eve of No Smoking Day, Alex said:
“It’s all of us versus cancer and Cancer Research UK needs you to join the fight as soon as possible.
“Money raised through Race for Life is crucial to the charity’s life-saving work. Whether you take part on the big day, sponsor friends and family or lend your time as a volunteer, you’ll be making a stand against the disease and a real difference to people with cancer here in our community.”
“The battle against cancer never stops. Cancer Research has already saved millions of lives through our research. My private members bill in Parliament to ban smoking in cars with children aimed to put the health of the nation’s children is put ahead of the rights of smokers- with 300,000 children every year seeing their GP with smoking related illnesses, it is critical that the government brings this ban into law.”
“It is also of paramount importance that plain packaging for all tobacco products is introduced to help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers.”
“We can all do something to combat cancer and have some fun along the way.”