Submitting member has a registered interest.
That the Parliament welcomes No Smoking Day on 12 March 2025; understands that the health charities, ASH Scotland and Asthma+Lung UK Scotland, as well as Public Health Scotland, are encouraging people across the country who smoke to “Quit and Win” and see improvements to their physical health, mental wellbeing and personal finances; understands that smoking continues to be the biggest preventable killer in Scotland, causing nearly 9,000 premature deaths each year; considers that giving up increases opportunities to live a healthier life, including through reducing the severity of asthma attacks and the risk of contracting conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and many cancers, which, it believes, smoking exacerbates and can lead to hospitalisations; believes that an average smoker who gives up tobacco on No Smoking Day could save £3,332 within 12 months, and notes what it sees as the importance of urging the reported two-thirds of people who smoke but want to quit to use the free expert advice provided by the qualified health professionals working for the Quit Your Way Scotland service, which is run by NHS 24, and which can recommend and prescribe quit-smoking aids, such as nicotine replacement therapies, which, it believes, have a strong evidence base in helping people to give up smoking.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Sarah Boyack, Miles Briggs, Ariane Burgess, Foysol Choudhury, Sharon Dowey, Jackie Dunbar, Russell Findlay, Meghan Gallacher, Kenneth Gibson, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Craig Hoy, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Douglas Lumsden, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Edward Mountain, Douglas Ross, Liz Smith, Colin Smyth, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle