SCCOT (the Scottish Cancer Coalition on Tobacco) was originally set up in October 1999 as an alliance of ASH Scotland and the leading cancer charities dedicated to cancer research and education and to cancer care. SCCOT provided a means to raise awareness specifically about the links between cancer and tobacco use. SCCOT also founded the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Tobacco Control (CPGTC) to assist with this goal.
In November 2004, it was agreed that SCCOT would no longer exist as a separate coalition, and that it would instead reform under a wider coalition of SCOT (the Scottish Coalition on Tobacco).
In practice the Scottish Coalition on Tobacco carries forward the work of SCCOT, broadening it out to raise awareness of the links between tobacco use and a range of other diseases and conditions, such as heart disease. This broader focus is reflected in the areas of expertise of member organisations involved in the SCOT coalition. In accepting this broader umbrella coalition, SCOT has also recognised the importance of broad and wide ranging tobacco control measures to effectively combat the tobacco epidemic in Scotland. A visual representation of SCOT's structure is available.
In advance of the publication of the Scottish Government's forthcoming health bill, expected in early 2009, the Scottish Coalition on Tobacco came together to endorse a campaigning statement setting out the key impacts of smoking on health and inequalities and the statistics surrounding smoking and young people. The statement concludes with a call for the health bill to contain strong and effective youth smoking prevention measures, including:
The statement is being sent to a selection of MSPs, and will form the core of further SCOT campaigning activity once the health bill is published.