ASH Scotland calls for rapid progress of Tobacco and Vapes Bill measures, as decline in Scotland’s smoking rate stagnates

ASH Scotland is urging elected representatives at Westminster and Holyrood to make rapid progress with the recently introduced Tobacco and Vapes Bill, following the 2023 Scottish Health Survey figures published today (Tuesday 12 November 2024) showing a stagnation in the decreasing trend of Scotland’s national smoking rate and suggesting a widening of the smoking inequalities gap between the country’s most and least deprived communities.

The survey results show that Scotland’s overall smoking rate of 15% has remained the same as in 2022.

The smoking prevalence figure for the poorest Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 1 quintiles now stands at 26%, an increase of 1% since last year, whilst the figure for the least deprived SIMD 5 quintiles has reduced by 1% in the last 12 months to 6%.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “Smoking continues to drive a health inequalities gap which appears to be slightly widening. Tobacco is Scotland’s biggest preventable cause of death with nearly 9,000 fatalities each year.

“Regulations which can be proposed and consulted on as part of the recently introduced Tobacco and Vapes Bill to challenge the promotion of tobacco and vaping products are urgently needed to ensure that people’s surroundings promote their health and not the use of health-harming substances.

“We urge Scotland’s elected representatives in Westminster and Holyrood to work at pace to ensure robust measures are rapidly implemented to eradicate the health damage being inflicted on people’s lives by profit-centred multi-national corporations.

“ASH Scotland supports proposals to extend SAFE spaces (smoke-free and aerosol-free environments) especially to areas most frequently used by children to discourage uptake of tobacco and related products like e-cigarettes.

“It is also vital that NHS Scotland’s Quit Your Way services as well as tobacco prevention and reduction work are funded and resourced to support people in our most socio-economically deprived communities to quit smoking, help the next generation to grow up free from tobacco and related products, and tackle the harms and inequalities caused by tobacco use in our society.”

Anyone who has the goal of giving up smoking can contact a Quit Your Way adviser by calling the free helpline on 0800 848484 or create a quit plan here.

The report presenting results for the Scottish Health Survey 2023, providing information on the health and factors relating to health of people living in Scotland can be downloaded here.