Scotland needs an ambitious and clear strategy for the future

20 October 2010

ASH Scotland today [Wednesday 20 October] published an ambitious and radical document outlining 33 recommendations for a new Scottish tobacco control strategy to continue to tackle Scotland's biggest preventable killer. Beyond Smoke-free has been developed by ASH Scotland working with an advisory group of experts and funded by Cancer Research UK. ASH Scotland Chief Executive Sheila Duffy said the only way to tackle the continuing impact of smoking, especially in Scotland's most deprived communities was to take innovative and aspirational action. Ms Duffy said:

"Beyond Smoke-free is ambitious, radical and far-reaching. It contains robust yet achievable recommendations. To truly tackle tobacco which is a uniquely addictive and lethal product, ambition, vision and innovation is needed. Not everyone will agree with every single recommendation but I hope it will provoke debate about what more we need to do and how best we can use our resources to tackle Scotland's biggest killer.

"It is now six years since the publication of 'A Breath of Fresh Air for Scotland', the first ever tobacco control action plan for Scotland. Its action points have been achieved or surpassed. There is no doubt Scotland has taken major steps to reducing smoking and therefore the major toll tobacco takes on our public health.

"However much more needs to be done. A quarter of all adult deaths are due to smoking-related diseases. That is six times as many people dying from tobacco than all the deaths from homicide, suicide, falls, poisoning, and accidents - including traffic accidents combined. How can we let that continue?

"We particularly need to take action in our most disadvantaged communities where smoking prevalence remains high. Smoking rates in our most deprived areas are at 43% compared to 9% in the least deprived which has a consequence for life expectancy. 32% of deaths in Scotland's most deprived areas are due to smoking compared to 15% in the least deprived. If we are to really combat the health inequalities in our country, then we must start with Scotland's biggest preventable killer - smoking.

"69% of adult smokers want to quit yet only 34% of smokers say they have been offered support to quit. Dealing with tobacco costs Scotland nearly a billion pounds annually yet in 2009-10 just £14.75 million was spent on stop-smoking support in total. Stop-smoking services are both effective and cost-effective and thousands of Scots are using the services. We must build on that work and ensure services are accessible, successful, and innovative in reaching smokers and that referrals are further developed.

"Of course it is preventing young people from starting to smoke and becoming addicted that can make the most difference in the long term. 15,000 young people start smoking each year and we must continue the good work that has been recently started to reduce the accessibility, attractiveness, and availability of tobacco to our young people.

"Scotland's smoke-free public places law has benefited Scotland enormously. It has protected people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and raised awareness of passive smoking. Many more people now have smoke-free homes and cars and exposure to second-hand smoke is reducing. However there are still far too many people, especially children, exposed to second-hand smoke and we can't ignore the impact this has on their health. 27.4% of Scottish children are exposed to second-hand smoke in their own home, with 54% of babies and young children from the poorest backgrounds regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in the home.

"ASH Scotland firmly believes action is needed. Not legislation in this case, but we need awareness campaigns about the impacts of smoking on children's health, we need to ensure health professionals can help parents find ways of reducing these impacts, and we need to engage the public in debating how best we can protect our children from the harm caused by second-hand smoke.

"There is therefore a need for a new, robust, ambitious and aspirational strategy to take Scotland through this decade and beyond. This can only be of benefit to Scotland in continuing the laudable ambition of 'A Breath of Fresh Air' to build a 'society in which everybody aspires to live a healthy, smoke-free life'.

"Devolution has proven to be successful in starting to fully tackle Scotland's historic problem of smoking, our high prevalence, and our high deaths and disease rates. Successive governments have shown courage and determination in reducing smoking but much more needs to be done. I hope the Scottish Government that is elected in 2011 will show ambition and aspiration and pursue a clear agenda on how we can continue to eradicate the major health impact smoking has on Scotland's people."

Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, added:

"Scotland needs a new comprehensive strategy that prevents people from starting smoking, helps smokers quit and protects children and young people from second hand smoke and tobacco marketing. These measures are vital to reduce the harm caused by this lethal product."

"Despite Scotland's progress in reducing smoking rates over the last ten years, smoking is still Scotland's biggest cause of preventable death. Scotland has often led the way in protecting people from the harmful effects of tobacco. The Scottish Government that is elected next year must continue to do so - by implementing the measures outlined in this report - to help prevent the tens of thousands of people dying each year in Scotland from tobacco use and so that we can make smoking history for future generations."

ENDS