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Chamber and committees

ASH Scotland’s 50th Anniversary Celebration – Time for a Tobacco-free Scotland

  • Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-12899

That the Parliament congratulates ASH Scotland on taking action on smoking and health for 50 years; commends the health charity for advocating for progressive legislation, including the smoking provisions of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006, which, it believes, were significant milestones on the journey to reducing smoking rates across Scotland; understands that adult smoking prevalence in Scotland was 47% when ASH Scotland was founded by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1973, and that it has since fallen to 15% in 2022; believes, however, that smoking-related inequalities persist, with 25% of adults reportedly smoking in the most deprived areas compared to 7% in the least deprived; appreciates the contributions at the "Time for a tobacco-free Scotland" parliamentary reception celebrating ASH Scotland’s 50th anniversary by Julie Patterson, who spoke about Pilton Community Health Project, like ASH Scotland, having also been founded by a world leader in respiratory medicine, Sir John Crofton, and campaigning physician, Dr Eileen Crofton MBE, as well as its current collaborative work with the charity and NHS Lothian’s Quit Your Way service in Edinburgh, as well as S3 pupils, Jack Duncan and Elka Wenger, who presented about Larbert High School’s activities informing young people about the risks of health harms associated with using e-cigarettes; encourages anyone thinking of stopping smoking to seek the person-centred expert advice freely available from health professionals at Quit Your Way Scotland to benefit their health and fitness, family and finances, and wishes the charity well in working together with its many partnerships in communities across the country, as well as nationally and internationally, to help Scotland progress towards achieving a tobacco-free generation by 2034.


Supported by: Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Sarah Boyack, Miles Briggs, Stephanie Callaghan, Foysol Choudhury, James Dornan, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Kenneth Gibson, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane (Registered interest) , Emma Harper, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Ivan McKee, Stuart McMillan, Pauline McNeill, Carol Mochan, Audrey Nicoll, Paul O'Kane, Colin Smyth, Alexander Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Annie Wells, Tess White, Elena Whitham, Brian Whittle