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A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR SCOTLAND IMPROVING SCOTLAND'S HEALTH: THE CHALLENGE TOBACCO CONTROL ACTION PLAN

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The Health Challenge

1.1 In February 2003 the Scottish Executive published Improving Health in Scotland: the Challenge¹ to bring about a more rapid rate of health improvement in Scotland and narrow the gap between the health of our poorer and better off communities. The Challenge described a series of actions to tackle the key risk factors to health, along with a commitment to focus specifically on the early years, teenage transition, the workplace and communities.

Purpose of this document

1.2 This paper takes forward the commitment made within the Challenge document to review national tobacco control policy in conjunction with key interests and to set out a new plan for action which will build on achievements to date. It also takes forward the commitment made within A Partnership for a Better Scotland² to consult on how to achieve considerably more smoke-free bars and restaurants and to consult transport operators on further measures to improve enforcement of restrictions on smoking in public transport.

1.3 Since 1999, the Scottish Executive has been driving forward implementation in a Scottish context of the comprehensive tobacco control programme set out in the UK White Paper Smoking Kills. ³ Working with our partners, we have delivered new and expanding cessation services, high quality communications campaigns, Nicotine Replacement Therapy on prescription, a ban on tobacco advertising, enhanced health warnings on cigarette packets and tobacco test purchasing pilots.

1.4 Whilst these are substantial achievements, the Scottish Executive believes that the time is right to step up the pace of advance and come forward with a new action plan which can take us even further. We therefore invited NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland to undertake a review of national tobacco control policy which would:

• examine current smoking trends in Scotland;

• summarise the most up-to-date evidence about smoking and tobacco related harm and how it can be reduced;

• consider current prevention, control and treatment policies and services in Scotland; and

• make recommendations about what further action should be taken in Scotland.

1.5 The resultant report, Reducing Smoking and Tobacco Related Harm: A Key to Transforming Scotland's Health, ⁴ provides the platform for this action plan. We would like to thank the authors for the quality of their research and for identifying a set of recommendations ( Appendix 1) which, taken together, provide new impetus for our efforts to minimise the harm that smoking causes to the people of Scotland.

1.6 This action plan sets out the Executive's response to ASH Scotland and NHS Health Scotland's review report. It sets out the direction we will take and a series of actions which underline our commitment to robust action to tackle smoking, particularly within our deprived communities. We are grateful to the members of the Executive's Scottish Tobacco Control Strategy Group (see Appendix 2) who helped advise on its content and determined it represents a significant step along the road towards a non-smoking Scotland.

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