Targets

The Scottish Public Health White Paper in 1999 published initial targets for smoking reduction in target groups, set by the Scottish Executive.  These were reviewed and in some cases further reduced in the Scottish Executive's 2004 Tobacco Control Action Plan.  The Scottish Government’s Smoking Prevention Action Plan set out new targets in 2008.

(see: Scottish Government Scotland’s future is smoke-free: a smoking prevention action plan [online] Edinburgh: The Stationery Office 2008.  Available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/05/19144342/13 [accessed 28 May 2008])

The current targets for Scotland are as follows:

Smoking amongst adults

• Reduce the percentage of adults aged 16+ smoking to 22% by 2010; this is a National Indicator and performance against this objective is tracked by the Scottish Government.

(Scottish Government Scotland Performs – National Indicators: Reduce the percentage of the adult population who smoke to 22% by 2010 [online].  Available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/indicators/reduceSmoking  [accessed 9 October 2009])

• The Scottish Government has set a target to achieve agreed reductions in the rates of hospital admissions and bed days of patients with primary diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Asthma, Diabetes or Coronary Heart Disease, from 2006/7 to 2010/11. 

Smoking cessation services

• NHS Boards have a target to support 8% of their smoking population to quit successfully (at one month post-quit) by the end of 2010/11.

Health inequalities

• Increase healthy life expectancy at birth in the most deprived 15% of areas in Scotland; this is a National Indicator and performance against this objective is tracked by the Scottish Government.

• Reduce health inequalities by reducing the rate of mortality for Coronary Heart Disease amongst under 75s in the most deprived 15% of areas in Scotland^; this is a National Indicator and performance against this objective is tracked by the Scottish Government.

Smoking amongst young people

• Reduce smoking among young people (aged 12-15) from 14% to 12% between 1995 and 2005 and to 11% by 2010.  

• To reduce the level of smoking amongst 13 year old girls from 5% in 2006 to 3% in 2014.
• To reduce the level of smoking amongst 13 year old boys from 3% in 2006 to 2% in 2014.
• To reduce the level of smoking amongst 15 year old girls from 18% in 2006 to 14% in 2014.
• To reduce the level of smoking amongst 15 year old boys from 12% in 2006 to 9% in 2014.

• The Scottish Government aims to reduce the level of 15 year old regular smokers who buy cigarettes from shops to to 50% by 2010.

• The Scottish Government aims to reduce the level of smoking amongst 16 to 24 year olds from 26.5% in 2006 to 22.9% in 2012. 

• The smoking prevention action group also recommended that new separate targets for 16 to 24 year olds be set. 

• The smoking prevention action group had suggested a reduction in smoking amongst 16-24 year olds to 25% in 2010, 20% by 2015 and 15% in 2020. 

Tobacco Sales Enforcement

• Minimum 10% per annum of tobacco retailers subject to test purchase

• Minimum 20% per annum of tobacco retailers visited to provide advice and support

• Each local authority to consider the extent to which it is appropriate for them to carry out in their area a programme of enforcement action relating to sale of tobacco to young persons at least once in every period of twelve months

Scottish Local Government Targets

• Indicator 10 - decrease the proportion of individuals living in poverty
• Indicator 16 - increase healthy life expectancy at birth in the most deprived areas
• Indicator 17 - reduce the percentage of the adult population who smoke to 22% by 2010
• Indicator 21 - reduce mortality from coronary heart disease among the under 75s in deprived areas

Monitoring performance