Raising awareness in 16 to 24 year-olds on the dangers of carbon monoxide

The UK’s Gas Distribution Networks (GDN’s), Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities, have come together as part of a national campaign exclusively targeting young people to increase their awareness of the life-threatening dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and the simple steps they can take to stay safe.

The integrated, digitally led campaign, ‘Game Over’, builds on previous work by Wales & West Utilities and SGN amongst the key 16-24-year-old demographic. It features short films and audio ads distributed through social media, including Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat; streaming services ITVX, All 4 and Spotify; and digital radio via DAX and Octave Audio. The campaign also includes a bespoke retro arcade game, whilst influential student ambassadors from 16 universities across the UK have been recruited to distribute campaign content and help raise awareness amongst their peers. A university roadshow is also being rolled out, which complements other on-campus work.

Known as the ‘silent killer’ carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that you can’t see, hear, smell, taste or touch. It is produced when any fossil fuel like coal, wood, oil or natural gas doesn’t burn properly. It can pose a serious threat to human health and even result in fatality, CO poisoning causes around 40 deaths each year in the UK, as well as a further 4,000 people requiring treatment in hospital for CO poisoning.

A lack of awareness of the risks of CO and how you can stay safe are the major contributing factors to CO-related deaths and injuries. The campaign is calling for young people to take a stance and protect themselves by knowing the symptoms of CO poisoning and to ensure they have audible CO alarms at home.

Philip Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability Social Programe Delivery at Cadent, said: “Research carried out collaboratively by all GDNs in 2020 demonstrated young people, aged 16-24, are one of the most at risk groups from CO harm as they are less aware about the dangers of CO. Raising awareness amongst this demographic is vital and we are delighted to come together as a collective GDN network to launch this campaign – targeting those most at risk."

“It’s no shock that young people aged 16-24 are often leaving their family home for the first time, and with that comes a responsibility to look after themselves in a way that they likely haven’t done before. We want to make sure young people are equipped with information that can, quite literally, save their life."

“This campaign seeks to explain the risks and sets out the simple steps that young people can follow to stay safe. We urge everyone to stay gas safe by getting an audible carbon monoxide alarm and to have all gas appliances serviced annually including gas boilers, cookers and water heaters…. or it could be Game Over.”

To stay safe, people are urged to:

• Get an audible carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a gas appliance and test it regularly.
• Make sure that gas appliances are serviced annually: that includes gas boilers, gas cookers and gas water heaters.
• Know the signs of carbon monoxide: Look out for the flames on your gas appliances burning a floppy yellow or orange, not crisp and blue; pilot lights on boilers frequently blowing out; extra condensation inside your window; soot or yellow stains around appliances.
• Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning: similar to the flu or food poisoning without a high temperature.
• If your alarm sounds, or you suspect carbon monoxide, take action: move outside into fresh air, leaving doors and windows open as you go. Then call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999*

To find out more about the campaign please visit www.UKGDNs.com.

*All calls are recorded and may be monitored.

Ends.