Youth Campaigns
If you are a young person with an interest in smoking and tobacco use in Scotland, or if you work with young people, then you can find information and documentation on this page that can be used to inform and plan campaigns or action on smoking-related issues. You are free to reproduce any of the material available here.
If you are already working on tobacco and health you may be interested in the new Crofton award which aims to recognise young people's work to reduce tobacco-related harm in Scotland
ASH Scotland believes it's important to encourage and support young people's involvement in tobacco control, as young people have historically been a group that is targeted by the tobacco industry in the marketing of its products. The industry has a need to continuously recruit new young smokers to replace those who quit or die. In more recent years however, young people internationally have united in action against movements of a cynical international industry which is only interested in ensuring greater profits for its product, regardless of the cost in lives around the world.
Current Issues and Campaigns
The 2009 Tobacco Bill (Scotland)
The Scottish Parliament is currently debating a bill which seeks to:
- ban the display of cigarettes at the point of sale
- ban cigarette vending machines
- create a register for tobacco retailers
- introduce stricter penalties for retailers who break the law.
Take part in the Young Scot consultation on the bill at the 
Young Scot website.
ASH Scotland has prepared a Q&A on the tobacco bill which could be used as the basis for discussion or activities for youth groups interested in the issue. You download it and other resources from the list below:
- download a Q&A on the tobacco bill (pdf, 66 kb)
- download an ASH Scotland short briefing on key measures in the tobacco bill (pdf, 96 kb)
- download the August 2009 edition of Youthlink Scotland's Magazine containing a feature on the bill (pdf, 2.5 Mb)
- go the ASH Scotland Pride of Place? campaign homepage to take action now
- get more detail on the bill from the policy section of the ASH Scotland website
Audio Interview snippet: How does it make you feel when you go into a shop and see tobacco displays?
Recent ASH Scotland News releases on the 2009 Tobacco Bill
- 17 August
ASH Scotland Q&A redresses balance of ban on promotion of tobacco to children debate - 7 July
ASH Scotland launches new innovative campaign: cigarettes should not have pride of place in our shops - 1 July
ASH Scotland congratulates Ireland on putting tobacco out of sight and out of mind - 23 June
Rogue retailers must be tackled to reduce youth smoking - 19 June
Health group coalition calls for individual action in support of Bill to prevent youth smoking - 10 June
SCOT calls for end to tobacco displays and vending machines - 26 May
Public opinion backs stronger tobacco measures - 4 May
Young people support out of sight tobacco plans - 27 April
Tobacco companies use scaremongering tactics but no credible evidence - 8 April 2009
Public opinion backs Scottish Government’s tobacco measures
- 26 February 2009
Scottish Government plans to end the tobacco industry’s pitch to young people - 25 February 2009
ASH Scotland welcomes crackdown on illegal tobacco sales to children