Policies & reports

Government policy papers
Smoking cessation
Inequalities
Local Authorities/NHS tobacco policy
ASH Scotland policy papers
ASH Scotland reports

Government policy papers

Scotland's future is smoke free: a smoking prevention action plan (May 2008)
This action plan sets out a programme of measures designed specifically to dissuade children and young people from smoking. It builds upon and responds to the report, 'Towards a Future without Tobacco' (November 2006) from an Expert Group, which considered a wide range of evidence from national and international research. The consultations undertaken on the Expert Group's recommendations also provide a clear mandate for the action proposed.
A breath of fresh air improving Scotland's health: the challenge tobacco control action plan (2004)
First action plan on tobacco control specifically for Scotland. Covers areas of prevention and education, protection and control, as well as expansion of smoking cessation services. Includes revised targets for reduction of smoking rates in adults. [NB: The smoking rates quoted in 'A breath of fresh air' are from the 1999 Scottish Household Survey - more recent smoking rates are available via our statistics section]
Smoking kills - a White Paper on tobacco (1998)
UK White Paper, subsequently endorsed by the Scottish Executive, outlined a package of measures to help smokers quit, and set targets for smoking reduction, along iwth outlining 'priority groups' for smoking reduction; pregnant women, young people and adults and low income. The result of this was the setting up of smoking cessation services in each health board area. The nature and scope of these services vary accross Scotland.

Smoking cessation

A guide to smoking cessation in Scotland 2010 (published 13 September 2010)
This guide contains three documents. Helping smokers to stop: Brief interventions, Planning and providing
specialist smoking cessation services, and a Brief interventions flowchart
Recommendations for the future development of Scottish smoking cessation services: data collection, monitoring & evaluating, information management and essential resources)
Smoking cessation services in primary care, pharmacies, local authorities and workplaces, particularly for manual working groups, pregnant women and hard to reach communities (February 2008)
(NHS UK) National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Public Health Programme Guidance

Inequalities

Tobacco use and people with mental health problems (November 2010) (pdf 72kb)
Briefing on how smoking affects personal finances (October 2010) (pdf 59kb)
Briefing on illicit tobacco (August 2010) (pdf 65kb)
information briefing on tobacco and social deprivation
information briefing on women and tobacco
information sheet on tobacco use and minority ethnic groups
information sheet on types of tobacco used in some minority ethnic groups
Breaking Down the Barriers: report of the Women, Low Income and Smoking Project (2000)

Local Authorities/NHS tobacco policy

2008 and 2009 ASH Scotland analysis of Single Outcome Agreements
ASH Scotland fact sheets on smoking prevalence broken down by local authority (2007) These fact sheets provide details of smoking rates at Scottish Parliamentary constituency and local authority level. Also included are the numbers of deaths attributed to smoking and smoking in the first trimester of pregnancy at health board level and the smoking prevalence of teenagers at a nationwide level. In addition, these factsheets give information about some of the smoking prevention, education, and cessation work that is being carried out at a local level across Scotland.

ASH Scotland policy papers and consultation responses

Please visit the ASH Scotland policy pages for policy briefings, position papers and consultation responses.

ASH Scotland reports

Counter Measures (January 2011) This report from ASH Scotland, funded by Cancer Research UK, describes the passage of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010, which introduced a range of youth smoking prevention measures.
Up in smoke (November 2010) This report from ASH Scotland demonstrates that, based on a conservative analysis, the societal costs of tobacco use amount to nearly £1.1 billion in Scotland. It adds to the existing literature examining the costs and benefits of tobacco production, sale and consumption. In this analysis we calculate that tobacco-attributable costs to society outstrip tobacco-specific duty attributed to in Scotland by some £129 million.
Beyond Smoke-free (October 2010): Beyond Smoke-free is an ambitious and radical document outlining 33 recommendations for a new Scottish tobacco control strategy to continue to tackle Scotland's biggest preventable killer. It sets out what we must do now as a nation to tackle the health inequalities which are fed by smoking.
State of the nation: measuring progress towards a tobacco-free Scotland (September 2010)
A major report from ASH Scotland which examines Scotland's achievements over the past decade to reduce the harm caused by smoking and considers what still needs to be done. The report concludes that tobacco control has been a real success story in Scotland since devolution, with successive Scottish governments aiming to address Scotland's public health record and reduce the quarter of all adult deaths caused by tobacco.
Smoke-free success: ASH Scotland presents the Scottish experience (2007)
A comprehensive and detailed report which documents Scotland's successful move to bring in a ban on smoking in public places, the lessons that other countries can learn, and the beginning "of a new and healthier Scotland".
Mapping local tobacco control alliances in Scotland (2007) (pdf, 775kb)
A mapping exercise which provided information on the extent of local tobacco control alliance work across Scotland
The unwelcome guest: how scotland invited the tobacco industry to smoke outside (2005) (pdf, 292kb) This report shows how the campaign to make Scotland smoke-free was won, and how the tobacco industry tried everything it could to stop smoke-free legislation being made.