Ahead of the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s smoke-free legislation coming into force on 26 March 2026, people in Edinburgh who quit smoking at the time are being encouraged by a campaigning health charity to share their stories.
ASH Scotland is urging people who stopped using tobacco to share their experiences about why the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces helped to motivate their quit smoking attempts and how becoming tobacco-free has benefited their life.
Local residents who have quit smoking more recently are also invited to tell the charity ahead of No Smoking Day on 11 March what influenced them to stop and if they succeeded through personal determination or with the free expert support available from NHS Scotland’s Quit Your Way services.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “With two big celebrations coming up in March in the shape of No Smoking Day and then the 20th anniversary of Scotland’s leading smoke-free law, we would love to hear from people in Edinburgh about how living tobacco-free has boosted their health and personal finances.
“We are looking forward to hearing everyone’s success stories which could inspire others to try giving up smoking for the first time or to try again when they discover the methods and support that worked 20 years ago or in more recent years.”
The charity is asking people to share stories up to a maximum of 200 words by emailing: comms@ashscotland.org.uk or via www.ashscotland.org.uk/share-your-story
If you’re looking for new resources for the young people you work with, take a look at our updated school and youth packs.
There is a range of activities to engage young people on the subject of tobacco and nicotine products. You can download here – https://bit.ly/4sWoMmm
