These awards are part of Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation; an initiative by health charity Action on Smoking and Health to help deliver a tobacco-free generation by 2034 (by this they mean less than 5% of the population still smokes).
The awards recognise the contributions these organisations are making in working towards a tobacco-free generation of Scots.
Among those receiving the awards at last week’s Holyrood reception, sponsored by Maree Todd MSP, were the Scottish Cot Death Trust, Fife College and the Scottish Youth Parliament for their commitment to take bold action to help Scotland achieve its tobacco-free goal by 2034.
LinkLiving, a not-for-profit organisation and one of Scotland’s leading social care providers was the one hundredth organisation to declare support for the Charter. They provide practical and emotional support, advice and care at home, to vulnerable adults and young people, assisting them towards independence.
In signing-up to Scotland’s Tobacco-free Charter the support service has committed to providing their staff training to help their service users make their homes smoke-free and recognise the benefits of quitting smoking. Using their established links with the community they are going to highlight positive local stories of quitting and living smoke-free.
Sarah Smith, Director of LinkLiving said: “We would like to do more to help our staff and the people we support to make positive choices in relation to tobacco and by signing the Charter we’ve committed to doing just that. As well as promoting the health benefits of quitting, we willalso be helping the people we support to make better use of limited financial resources.By supporting them to stop smoking, we’ll be putting more money in the pockets of the people and communities that need it most.”
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “ASH Scotland launched Scotland’s Charter for a tobacco-free generation to help raise awareness of and deliver the worthwhile vision for putting smoking out of fashion for the next generation. In its first year, the response to the charter has been excellent. We now have over one hundred organisations signed up to the Charter, and it is proving an effective way to bring people together and motivate organisations in the fight against tobacco and the harmful effects it has on children and young people.”
“These awards celebrate some of the positive actions that Charter signatories across the country are delivering to help to ensure that children who are in nursery now become the first generation to grow up in communities where tobacco is hardly noticed.”
Maree Todd MSP for Highlands and Islands, event sponsor said: “I am delighted to sponsor this event with ASH Scotland. Smoking is on the decline but we have to ensure that we do what we can to keep up this rate of progress and promoting Scotland’s Charter for a tobacco-free generation will help us achieve that – ultimately we all want to bring about a future where smoking is no longer doing such damage to people’s health.”
“I think that everyone receiving awards here tonight fully deserve all the congratulations they are receiving. I hope that we have many more organisations to congratulate for their achievements in tackling smoking in the future. ”
NHS Lothian has signed up to Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation. The Charter is designed to support organisations working with young people and families to meet the Scottish Government’s goal of having 5% or fewer of Scotland’s adults smoking by 2034.
NHS Lothian pledged its support and commitment to implement the Charter at the Lothian Tobacco Prevention Stakeholder Event 2016, held in Edinburgh’s City Chambers on 23 November. The signing was witnessed by staff from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland, who developed the Charter. It was also witnessed by pupils from Our Lady’s RC Primary School, Stoneyburn, West Lothian, who presented their work to reduce the effects of second-hand smoke on children, as part of NHS Lothian’s smokefree homes project.
Welcoming guests at the event, Professor Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian, said: “Tobacco is the biggest single preventable cause of premature death in Scotland. NHS Lothian invests to reduce the likelihood that people will start smoking and to help people who do start smoking to stop and stay stopped. I am delighted to pledge NHS Lothian’s support for Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation before an audience of key partners who, like us, are passionate about reducing tobacco use and the harm caused by tobacco.”
1. every baby should be born free from the harmful effects of tobacco
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