Tobacco use: policy context
The UK Government and Scottish Government are committed to reducing tobacco smoking and the associated burden of death and disease. This is demonstrated by the publication of various policy documents over recent years, including:
Raising Scotland's Tobacco-free Generation: our tobacco control action plan 2018
This is a five-year action plan setting out interventions and policies to help reduce the use of and associated harms from using tobacco in Scotland. The actions we will be taking are set out by category into Raising awareness, Encouraging healthier behaviour, Improving services and Providing protection through regulation.
As part of the action plan, smoking around hospital buildings was banned in 2020, prisons were made smoke-free from November 2018, and a new national brand – Quit Your Way – was established for the stop-smoking service in 2018.
Regulations around nicotine vapour products, 2017
New rules for the purchase and supply of vapour products came into force in 2017. The restrictions focused on regulating the sale of electronic cigarettes or NVPs and introduced a mandatory Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product for retailers.
Standardised packaging of tobacco products, 2016
In January 2015, the UK Government announced its intention to introduce regulations for standardised packaging of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco and in March 2015 MPs voted in favour of its introduction. The proposed regulations would standardise the packaging of all cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco for retail sale by:
- specifying mandatory colours for retail packaging (dull brown for the outside and white for the inside;
- permitting only specified text (such as the brand and variant name) and making sure any permitted text conforms to particular requirements;
- allowing required markings such as health warnings and fiscal marks (including covert markings and any future requirements that may be introduced to tackle illicit trade) to remain in place.
The regulations for standardised packaging came into force at the same time as the European Tobacco Products Directive on 20 May 2016.
Creating a Tobacco-Free Generation: A Tobacco Control Strategy for Scotland, 2013
This strategy sets out a 5-year plan for action across the key themes of health inequalities, prevention, protection and cessation. Key actions include: setting 2034 as a target date for reducing smoking prevalence to 5%; a pilot of the schools-based ASSIST programme; a requirement for smoke-free hospital grounds by March 2015; and a national marketing campaign on the dangers of second-hand smoke in cars and other enclosed spaces. In addition, it will provide the government’s view on standardised packaging of tobacco products.
Scotland´s future is smoke-free: A smoking prevention action plan, 2008
This action plan sets out a programme of measures designed specifically to dissuade children and young people from smoking. The age to buy tobacco was raised from 16 to 18 in 2007.
A programme of action covering prevention and education, as well as protection and controls and the expansion of high quality cessation services were set out in A breath of fresh air for Scotland: Tobacco control action plan (2004) (this document is now unavailable). This plan was the main reference point and policy context for all tobacco-related work in Scotland before the tobacco control strategy was launched in 2013.
Reducing smoking and tobacco related harm: A key to transforming Scotland´s health, 2003
This report produced by NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland led to the publication of the tobacco control action plan, A breath of fresh air. The report examined the current smoking trends in Scotland, summarised the evidence on smoking and tobacco related harm (including the dangers of second-hand smoke), considered various policies, and recommended future action that should be taken in Scotland.
