ASH Scotland marks anniversary of Scotland’s UK-leading smoke-free legislation with call for extension of ‘SAFE spaces’

ASH Scotland is today (Wednesday 26 March 2025) marking the 19^th anniversary of Scotland’s UK-leading smoke-free public spaces legislation coming into force by calling for the extension of SAFE spaces (smoke-free and aerosol-free environments) to protect children’s health.

The health charity’s call comes as MPs participate in the third reading of the UK Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which if passed after progressing through the parliamentary process, would enable the Scottish Government to consult on extending smoke-free places and create vape-free and heated tobacco-free spaces in Scotland.

Following the ban on smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland through the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 which came into effect on 26 March 2006, there was an estimated 1,200 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks in the year following the ban and a sustained 13% decline in heart attacks in the decade that followed.

To create a healthier society in Scotland, the health charity is advocating that measures which challenge the visibility and normalisation of smoking should be part of a national debate about how the country can make progress towards health promoting environments.

This includes considering strong prevention measures to help keep people healthy such as extending SAFE spaces (smoke-free and aerosol-free environments) especially to areas most used by children such as in and around school premises and playgrounds.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of health charity, ASH Scotland, said: “Scotland’s UK-leading smoke-free public spaces legislation was a major public health success in encouraging many people to give up smoking and driving down the dangerous exposure of toxic second-hand smoke for staff and customers, including children, in indoor settings.

“The number of hospital admissions of children with asthma in Scotland decreased 18% per year in the three years after the legislation came into effect and it was also linked to significant falls in preterm delivery and the number of small for gestational age infants.

“With tobacco continuing to be the biggest preventable killer of people in Scotland, causing nearly 9,000 deaths each year and significant health inequalities, passing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill would offer Scotland the opportunity to debate how we can protect children from breathing harmful tobacco smoke and air pollution from recreational nicotine and heated tobacco products, such as by extending smoke-free and aerosol-free environments.

“We urge politicians to ensure the Bill rapidly reaches the statute book as it would be a landmark step towards eradicating the damage being inflicted by profit-centred multi-national corporations on people’s lives and help Scotland to make progress towards attaining a tobacco-free generation by 2034.”