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Policies & reports

Government policy papers

  • Raising Scotland’s Tobacco Free Generation (June 2018) A five year plan for action focusing on our tobacco-free generation - children who are turning five this year. The long-term goal is for the young people of this generation to be truly tobacco-free when they turn 21 in 2034.  This action plan demonstrates the Scottish Government's commitment to the new Public Health Priorities which include an ambition for a Scotland free from the harms caused by alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. There are 44 specific actions in the plan, all of which have been developed with relevant partners. Actions include legislating to restrict smoking around hospital buildings, banning tobacco in prisons, establishing the new national stop-smoking service brand and running the final phase of the stop-smoking media campaign: Getting Through 72.

  • Creating a tobacco-free generation -  A Tobacco Control Strategy for Scotland (March 2013) (pdf, 258kb)  Effective tobacco control is central to realising the right to life and the right to the highest attainable standard of health for everyone in Scotland. It recognises that people deserve to live in a nation free from the harms caused by tobacco, where people choose not to smoke and enjoy longer, healthier lives. This strategy has been developed with input from NHS Scotland, COSLA, the Third Sector and the research community and sets out the next steps on Scotland’s journey to becoming tobacco-free.

  • 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 Includes: planning and providing specialist smoking cessation services (2017), helping smokers to stop (2017), practitioners flowchart, guide to smoking cessation harm reduction addendum (2014), e-cigarettes and harm reduction brief intervention. and specialist smoking cessation services revised definition.

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Local authorities/NHS tobacco policy

ASH Scotland policy papers and consultation responses

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

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Resources Smoke-free public places – ten years on