Health charity ASH Scotland is urging North Edinburgh residents to attend an event organised by the Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) on No Smoking Day tomorrow (Wednesday 8 March).
People who smoke and attend the event in PCHP’s Community Hub at 73 Boswall Parkway between 12 midday and 1pm will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from the charity and NHS Lothian’s Quit Your Way service, which provides person-centred support to help stop smoking attempts.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland said: “Our charity’s theme for No Smoking Day is ‘Quit and Win’ and, through our campaigning and engagement at this event hosted by Pilton Community Health Project, we look forward to encouraging more people in NorthEdinburgh to make attempts to quit smoking to benefit their health, wellbeing and personal finances.”
Dawn Anderson, Director of PCHP said: “We are delighted to support our Community Wellbeing partnerASH Scotland with its No Smoking Day campaign and encourage people who smoke, their families, friends and neighbours to come along, share some lunch, and tell their stories about smoking, quitting or trying to quit.They will also have the chance to get some personalised advice from the experts about the best way for them to stop.
“The informal event will include lunch and those who take part will also receive a small gift card to thank them for sharing their experiences. We hope people who have already given up smoking will also come along and offer support to those starting out on their quit journey.”
If you live in North Edinburgh and would like to register for the event contact PCHP on 0131 551 1571 or email Dawn Anderson on dawnanderson@pchp.org.uk .
Anyone who has the goal of giving up smoking but unable to attend the event can contact a Quit Your Way adviser by calling the free helpline on 0800 848484 or create a quit plan at www.quityourway.scot.
Its #NoSmokingDay next week! Pilton Community Health Project would love to hear your stories of quitting, trying to quit, successfully quitting …. call us on 0131 551 1571 or email Dawn on dawnanderson@pchp.org.uk to book in for lunch with us and @ASHScotland@QYWLothian@NHS_Lothian …
Health charity urges Scottish Government to increase cessation support for Scotland’s 730,000 smokers
ASH Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to boost specialist cessation services for the estimated 730,000 Scots who smoke, after it emerged that quit smoking attempts have dropped by more than a third compared to the year before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
The latest annual NHS Stop Smoking Services Scotland report (April 2021 to March 2022) published by Public Health Scotland today (Tuesday 21 February 2023) reveals there were 31,359 quit smoking attempts, around 17,000 fewer than the 48,749 in 2019/20.
With smoking continuing to cause 100,000 hospitalisations and 9,000 deaths in Scotland each year, and the 2034 target for the country to be tobacco-free on track to be missed by an estimated 16 years, ASH Scotland says it is vitally important that the Scottish Government and health boards consider the promotion and expansion of the country’s smoking cessation services as top priorities.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of the health charity ASH Scotland, said: “It is alarming that these latest figures show stop smoking attempts with NHS support have fallen for the 10th consecutive year and by almost 75% since the peak of 121,385 attempts in 2011/12.
“At a time when the health service is under considerable pressure and smoking continues to be the biggest preventable cause of illness and death, swift action is required by the Scottish Government and health boards to ensure NHS Quit Your Way services are promoted and better resourced to reach more of the two-thirds of Scots who smoke and want to quit.
“Quit Your Way services, which provide specialist person-centred smoking cessation support, must be boosted as a matter of urgency to continue their critical role helping people who have the highest smoking rates, such as those living in our most deprived communities, and experiencing mental health problems, to leave tobacco behind.”
ASH Scotland research suggests that smoking prevalence for people experiencing mental health problems in Scotland’s poorest communities is between 40 to 50 per cent, comparable to the country’s general population smoking rates of the mid-1970s.
People aiming to give up smoking can call Quit Your Way’s free helpline on 0800 84 84 84 or create a quit plan at www.QuitYourWay.scot.
ASH Scotland’s Closing the Inequality Gap: Smoking and Mental Health report, published in 2022, can be downloaded at www.ashscotland.org.uk/mentalhealth
An urgent review of the environmental impacts and management of single-use vapes has been commissioned.
The review, which comes in response to emerging concerns around the negative consequences of the disposable devices, will inform potential policy responses, which could include a ban of the products.
The disposable smoking devices have been linked to issues including litter, plastic waste and fire risk.
Zero Waste Scotland will lead on the review, which will consider international experience and action, including any key developments in the European Union.
Other approaches could include increasing access to responsible disposal options, improved product design or public communications campaigns.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Not only are single-use vapes bad for public health, they are also bad for the environment. From litter on our streets, to the risk of fires in waste facilities, there are issues which need to be addressed urgently.
“We will consider the evidence and expert advice and come forward with policy options, which could include a potential ban on single-use vapes.
“In the meantime, we would urge everyone who uses these products to make sure they are disposed of properly.”
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Any form of littering is an unacceptable, anti-social behaviour, that is damaging to the environment and the economy.
“Single-use items, like disposable vapes, are becoming an all-too-common eyesore in areas where we live, work, and socialise, and can last in our environment for years and years. Tackling our throwaway culture is a priority here at Zero Waste Scotland and we are happy to lead on this important review.”
Correct disposal of e-cigarettes and vapes:
E-cigarettes or vapes should not be thrown away in general waste in order to avoid the risk of fire.
E-cigarettes or vapes should be disposed of at small waste electrical and electronic equipment receptacles widely available at household waste recycling centres.
If the batteries inside vapes are easily removable, these should be removed and disposed of in battery recycling receptacles.
The Scottish Government is working on a refreshed Tobacco Action Plan, which will be published this Autumn. This will consider a range of interventions with an emphasis on reducing smoking and vaping among children and young people.
Environment and health campaigners have welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement today to review single-use disposable e-cigarettes and their impacts on the environment.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of health charity, ASH Scotland, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government taking rapid action to explore and address the environmental harms of single-use vaping products. The easy availability of disposable e-cigarettes, which are being marketed with bright colours and sweet flavours, is driving a huge rise in children experimenting.
“Nicotine is highly addictive and many disposable vapes include toxic chemicals that have not been safety tested for inhalation and could seriously damage health over time – this is especially worrying for children and young people as their lungs are still growing.”
Climate activist, Laura Young, commented: “This review, and consideration of a ban cannot come quickly enough as we look to remove these harmful devices from our market. These have no place in a country moving towards Net Zero and a Circular Economy.
“Months of litter picking from streets, parks, and beaches, alongside campaigning efforts speaking to a variety of public health and environmental organisations has pushed this into the focus of the Scottish Government where we hope to see swift action to address the unintended consequences from these products.”
Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society, said: “We’re delighted to hear that the Scottish Government is planning a review into a potential ban on disposable vapes after the matter was raised by Gillian Mackay MSP in Holyrood yesterday.
“Thanks to the brilliant work of our Youth Ocean Network member Laura young, known as Less Waste Laura, or the ‘Vape Crusader’, our concerns of the impact of disposable vapes on our ocean are being heard.
“To stop single-use items polluting Scotland’s seas we need to move towards a circular economy where products are repaired, refilled, recharged and reused. We support the call for a ban on disposable vapes, as well as clearer labelling on packaging for how to recycle reusable vapes with a free and easy take back scheme available in every outlet that sells them.”
Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, added: “We are currently experiencing a litter emergency that is impacting communities across Scotland. Cigarette litter in general makes up the biggest chunk of litter we record across Scotland, and we know that single-use vapes are increasing as a new, unnecessary litter type.
“We are thrilled to hear that Circular Economy Minister, Lorna Slater, has announced a review into their environmental impact. We will continue to urge the UK and Scottish Governments to work together to ensure action is taken, up to and including a ban on single use vapes to stop this new litter type at source.”
Gordon MacdonaldMSP has backed national No Smoking Day by urging Edinburgh residents to consider giving up smoking to improve both mental and physical health.
The MSP is supporting a campaign led by health charity, ASH Scotland, which is encouraging people to ‘Quit Your Way’ in ways which work best for individual circumstances by seeking advice and support from stop smoking services, community pharmacies or the national Quit Your Way Scotland service run by NHS 24.
Although smoking rates in NHS Lothian health board area dropped to 18 per cent in 2018, more progress is required if the Scottish Government’s ambitious target of reducing the rate to five per cent or less by 2034 is to be met.
Gordon MacdonaldMSP said: “I am pleased to be supporting ASH Scotland’s No Smoking Day campaign and urge my constituents in Edinburgh Pentlands who smoke to reach out to stop smoking services and community pharmacies who provide free support and can help develop a personalised quit plan.
“I encourage people to try quitting again, if a previous attempt did not work. ASH Scotland advises me that some people find giving up cigarettes or tobacco easier than they had thought but, for others, it can take a number of attempts. It is worth giving quitting smoking another go for the benefits to both mental and physical health.”
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have Gordon Macdonald MSP’s support for our No Smoking Day campaign encouraging herconstituents in Edinburgh Pentlands.
“Nicotine is highly addictive but, with the right support to meet individual needs, quitting smoking your way can quickly improve mental health and, within a year of stopping, the risk of coronary heart disease reduces by half compared to someone who smokes.”
Anyone in Lothian who has the goal of giving up smoking can get in touch with Lothian’s Quit Your Way team on Facebook or phone the Quit Your Way Scotland’s national helpline on 0800 848484. More information is also available at www.quityourway.scot.
A poster highlighting free NHS stop smoking services will be in every community pharmacy in Scotland from next week. The brand ‘Quit Your Way – with our support’ was created after research by Health Scotland found smoking cessation services should have one national identity to improve uptake.Continue reading Quit smoking your way
