18 May 2005
Street furniture to help smokers quit
With visions of smokers 'crouching' in the doorways of public buildings across Scotland,
twenty-one-year-old, Paul Monteath decided to create a piece of street furniture which would
'welcome' smokers to use it, while at the same time encourage them to kick their habit.
Paul, one of the first cohort of graduates from the Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences'
new Innovative Product Design degree course will display his unusual street furniture at this
year's DJCAD Degree Show, opening Friday 20 May.
His decision to examine how design can address problems associated with air pollution coincided
with First Minister Jack McConnell's announcement about the ban on smoking in public places.
Paul has constructed a cube that has been specifically designed to show the dangers of smoking.
From the centre of the large cube, Paul has removed a smaller cube-shape. This small cube
represents the number of cigarettes the average smoker smokes in a year and, at a quarter of the
size of the larger cube it also highlights the fact that smoking causes the death of one in every
four smokers. The dimensions of the cubes also represent the fact that, on average, the life
expectancy of a smoker is a fifth less than that of a non-smoker.
As well as the furniture dimensions representing these harsh facts about smoking, Paul has used
specific materials and text to reinforce the 'quit smoking' message. Although the two cubes would
enable smokers to 'perch' - somewhat uncomfortably - on them, Paul has used mirrors on some of the
surfaces, forcing smokers to confront the ugly reality of their habit. He has also used phrases and
quotes across the surfaces with messages that will, he hopes, encourage smokers to think about
kicking the habit.
Paul believes that street furniture like this could be used across Scotland, as part of the
Executives initiatives to cut down on the number of smokers, and smoking-related deaths in
Scotland.
The Innovative Product Design course is delivered jointly by the Division of Mechanical
Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the School of Design at
DJCAD. The course uniquely blends user-centred design, technology and business to support the
development of new design professionals that can combine technological understanding and business
know-how with creativity.
The annual degree show at DJCAD offers an outstanding range of work from this year's graduates.
The show is open to the public from Saturday 21 May to Saturday 28 May.
For further information please contact the Press Office on 01382 344768
By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344768, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk | 
