Event in Lowestoft town centre highlights dangers of carbon monoxide

Chief executive Jonathan Williams with members of ECCH's Health Promotion team (Image: Archant)

East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) was aiming to raise awareness of the dangers carbon monoxide- a colourless, odourless poisonous gas which is the most common cause of accidental deaths in the home in the UK.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous and ECCH CEO Jonathan Williams opened the event in Lowestoft High Street on Wednesday, July 29.

The ECCH Stop Smoking Team and health trainers carried out free wellbeing checks and health visitors and the breast feeding team were also on hand to give advice to pregnant women and new mothers. Other organisations including the Gas Safety Trust, Suffolk Fire Brigade and staff from the hyperbaric unit at the James Paget University Hospital, which treats people with carbon monoxide poisoning, were offering help and information.

The first 20 people to arrive at the event, which was funded by ECCH and Suffolk County Council, were given a free carbon monoxide alarm.

Passers-by were tempted into ECCH's marquee by quirky street entertainers The Tourists who were visiting Lowestoft for the first time after successful appearances at Glastonbury and Brighton festivals.

ECCH Stop Smoking Service lead Linda Robinson said: 'The signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are not always easy to detect but preventing the problem in the first case should be quite simple if people understand what to look out for. So the idea of this event is to bring together all the organisations who can give people support and advice and tackle the issue from all angles.'

Specialist Stop Smoking advisor Andy Trohear added: 'Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, you cant see it or smell it. I would advise people to get a carbon monoxide monitor in their houses and to have their boilers checked.'

Are you highlighting an important issue in Lowestoft? Email joe.randlesome@archant.co.uk