A Manifesto for Health Equality

14th April 2021

**PRESS RELEASE **

For immediate release

15 April 2021

A Manifesto for Health Equality  

ASH Scotland, Scotland’s independent charity set up to challenge the harms tobacco causes to our society, has today launched its manifesto for the upcoming Scottish elections.

In it, the organisation focuses on three broad themes:

Tackling inequality
Protecting young people
Reducing pointless plastic pollution

It is essential that the next Scottish Government works harder to achieve its smoke-free ambition for 2034, reaffirming commitment and devising effective interventions to end the inequality that sees 32% of people in our hardest pressed communities smoking, whilst that figure has been reduced to 6% in richer areas.

We must do everything we can to protect children and young people from the influence and reach of the tobacco industry and its lethal products. It is essential that we monitor both the development of tobacco products and their uptake amongst our young people.

Two-thirds of smokers believe that the plastic filters in cigarettes benefit their health. They do not. Plastic cigarette filters exist to make the sensation of smoking more palatable. Without them, the product would burn harshly when inhaling and put people off smoking. These filters are a major source of plastic pollution in Scotland and it’s time they were scrapped.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive at ASH Scotland, said of the manifesto:

“We’re at a critical point in Scotland’s smoking story. We’ve led the world so far, but is that boldness and vision something that will persist?

“We see health inequality even more starkly following the onset of the Covid pandemic and we must act with some urgency to tackle the harms tobacco causes to both life expectancy and quality of life.

"We need to reduce the financial burden on the NHS from treating those harms and we must help ALL of Scotland realise the right to health that is being afforded in unequal measures at this time.

"We call on the next Scottish Government to up its game on tobacco control and cessation help, and for the new intake of MSPs to pledge to work hard towards the 2034 smoke-free target.

“Scotland can lead the way once more”.

The link to our manifesto is here: /media/846889/ash-scotland-2021-manifesto.pdf

Ends

Contact ASH Scotland at dstorm@ashscotland.org.uk or media@ashscotland.org.uk

Note to Editors:

ASH Scotland – Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland) - is the independent Scottish health charity taking action to reduce the harm caused by tobacco. See www.ashscotland.org.uk.

ASH Scotland’s twitter handle is @ASHScotland

ASH Scotland’s manifesto can be found here: (link).