Last gasp for tobacco displays

Ban on displaying tobacco in small shops comes into force today

A ban on displaying tobacco in small shops and convenience stores comes into force today. The display of tobacco products has been illegal for large stores and supermarkets since 2012 but smaller retailers were given more time to implement the legislation.

From today, the display of tobacco products is prohibited in all premises and the ban has been welcomed by public health campaigners.

Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) says the ban is an ‘important step forward’. Welcoming the ban, Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Ash, said: “Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18, so it is vital that everything is done to put tobacco out of sight to protect future generations.

“The display ban in small shops will work hand in hand with standardised packs, which will be introduced in May 2016, to further protect children from glitzy tobacco packaging.”

Retailers’ organisations say the ban is unnecessary and that there is not enough proof that it will have a real effect on child smoking rates. There also believe there are other more effective means of stopping children from taking up smoking.

The Tobacco Retailers’ Alliance, said: “The introduction of the display ban into larger shops hasn’t even been evaluated, so how do we know it will work in smaller shops? Of course retailers will need to comply with the law but this is a further unnecessary measure that will hit small businesses.

“There will be real difficulties around its application, including longer transaction times, and the costs of implementation such as the installation of new gantries. Coming on top of plain packaging, it is an unnecessary burden on shops already struggling with red tape.”

The organisation says tobacco represents about a third of the average newsagent’s turnover and says the Government should crack down harder on the tobacco black market and increase resources to enforce the existing law on the prohibition of sales to young people.

Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer prevention, Alison Cox, said: “Smoking kills 100,000 people every year in the UK. It’s great that tobacco will no longer be in plain view of children and young people every time they go into a shop.

“Research shows that children exposed to tobacco displays are more likely to start smoking and removing these eye-catching, colourful walls of cigarettes will protect them from tobacco marketing.”

Have your say on e-cigarettes

Scottish Government launches consultation on smoking regulations

The Scottish Government is seeking views on a number of potential changes to the regulation of electronic cigarettes and strengthening tobacco control in Scotland.

Members of the public and other interested parties are invited to give their views on a number of measures. The consultation responses will inform the development of any future legislation.

Respondents will be asked whether they think sale of e-cigarettes should be banned for those under 18. Currently there is no legal age limit for the devices. This would also include making it an offence for an adult to buy e-cigarettes for someone under age, so called proxy purchase.

The consultation will look at the establishment of restrictions on domestic advertising, which could include billboards, leafleting, brand-sharing, free distribution, nominal pricing, point of sale and events sponsorship.

The consultation includes the proposal that it should be illegal to smoke in a car if there is a child on board. This would apply if anyone under 18 was in the vehicle. The paper will also ask whether local authorities should be able to set up smoke-free zones around outdoor children’s play parks to protect children from second-hand smoke.

Another option on the table is to make it a statutory obligation for all NHS grounds to be smoke free. The Scottish Government has asked boards to do this by April 2015, but only on a voluntary basis.

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, said: “Electronic cigarettes are relatively new, and there is very little regulation of their sale and use. This consultation is the first step towards proper regulation of the devices in Scotland. We will carefully consider the responses and decide what are the most appropriate next steps.

“It is very important we consider the restrictions on all forms of advertising on e-cigarettes, which I know is a concern to many.

“There are also some measures here to further protect children from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. This year we launched our Take it Right Outside campaign, which urges people not to smoke near children. We have set a target to halve the number of children exposed to second-hand smoke by 2020, but we are actively looking at whether there is any further legislation that could help us to achieve this target.”

To implement the tobacco products directive UK-wide health departments have already agreed to consult on regulations for cross-border advertising of e-cigarettes, including TV, radio and internet. The consultation document can be viewed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/10/5471

The consultation will run for 12 weeks and close on 2 January 2015

More Scots are cutting it out

Thousands more quit smoking but still work to be done

The number of Scots who successfully gave up smoking for at least a month has exceeded targets by more than 50 per cent. Figures released yesterday by ISD Scotland show the smoking cessation target to deliver 80,000 one month quits were exceeded by 56 per cent with 124,734 people giving up the habit between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2014.

A target of 48,000 quits in Scotland’s most deprived areas was also exceeded, with 70,162 saying they had given up.

In total, across NHS Scotland there were 332,285 quit attempts made over the last three years with 195,355 of these attempts made in the 40 per cent most deprived areas.

Over the three year period, 13 of the 14 NHS boards met their target with some exceeding it by more than 60 per cent.

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, said: “Giving up smoking is the single best thing anyone can do to improve their health. That is why we welcome these latest figures, showing NHS smoking cessation services are continuing to deliver positive results.

“While it’s encouraging to see target numbers exceeded, we are not complacent. Smoking rates are higher in deprived areas, contributing to health inequalities. We will continue to work to reach out to people in these communities and to help them to quit. We have also introduced a new target for NHS Scotland to support successful quits in our most deprived communities.”

Smoking has long been recognised as the biggest single cause of preventable ill-health and premature death. The Scottish Government is tackling the harm caused by tobacco use and last year set out a challenging Tobacco Control Strategy create a tobacco-free generation by 2034.

Have you managed to kick the habit? How did you do it? Let us know!

Smokers urged to ‘take it right outside’

Scottish Government sets new target to spare 50,000 children from exposure to second-hand smoke

Scots who think they are doing enough to protect their children from their second-hand smoke are being targeted as part of a new campaign.

With new research showing the harmful chemicals in second-hand smoke linger and travel for up to five hours after the visible smoke has disappeared, the campaign is urging people to take smoking right outside of the home or car for the sake of their children.

Unveiling the campaign today, Public Health Minister Michael Matheson announced a new target to reduce the proportion of children in Scotland exposed to second-hand smoke in the home from 12 per cent to six per cent by 2020.

Scotland is the first country in the UK to set such a target and achieving this has the potential to save approximately 50,000 Scottish children from exposure to second-hand smoke.

The target is part of the Government’s comprehensive Tobacco Control Strategy for Scotland which sets out a five-year plan to put Scotland on the path to becoming a tobacco-free generation.

The campaign gives people who smoke the facts, helping them understand how smoking indoors pollutes the air their family breathes and how they can take simple steps to make their home and car smoke-free.

With 85 per cent of second-hand smoke being invisible and odourless, many are unaware that smoking indoors, even at an open window or standing at the back door, isn’t enough to protect children, as the harmful chemicals linger and easily drift around the home.

Effects of second-hand smoke can have serious consequences for a child’s health and it is estimated that second-hand smoke exposure in UK children each year causes over 20,000 cases of lower respiratory tract infection, 120,000 cases of middle ear disease, at least 22,000 new cases of wheeze and asthma, 200 cases of bacterial meningitis, and 40 sudden infant deaths – one in five of all cot deaths.

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson (pictured with children from Royal Mile Primary School, above) said: “As we move towards creating a tobacco-free generation, we want to give every child in Scotland the chance to grow-up in a smoke-free environment.

“This campaign isn’t about a person’s choice to smoke, it’s about people who smoke having the facts so they can smoke in a way that doesn’t harm their children.

“The reality is that many think they’re already doing enough, without realising that the harmful chemicals from second-hand smoke linger, even when there is no smell and it can’t be seen. Because children’s immune systems aren’t fully developed and they breathe quicker than adults, the simple fact is that smoking in the home or car puts children of all ages at risk.

“We are absolutely clear on our commitment to prevent people taking up smoking and helping those who do smoke to quit. We have led the way with the ban on smoking in public places, the display ban and our commitment to a tobacco free generation. But where people do smoke, it is crucial they know the full facts about the harmful impact it has not just on them, but those around them such as their children.”

Dr Sean Semple, University of Aberdeen, the leading academic on second-hand smoke whose research has informed the campaign said: “Eight years ago, Scotland led the way on measures to protect people from second-hand smoke with legislation banning smoking in many public spaces. The benefits of this to health have been substantial and sustained, but we know that second-hand smoke still causes considerable ill-health and that this is mainly from smoking within the home.

“In the past five years our research group has measured pollution levels in over 100 homes across Scotland. Smoking homes have very high concentrations of fine particles that tend to be much higher than the worst pollution on even the busiest roads in Scotland.

“Second-hand smoke also lingers for a long time. In more than a fifth of cases it took over 5 hours for the second-hand smoke to clear and during this time the harmful chemicals will move around the house.

“Despite the high second-hand smoke levels measured the outlook is good; many of the smokers we worked with were already starting to make their home smoke-free. By taking their smoking right outside people can improve the air quality in their home and protect the health of their families.”

James Cant, Head of British Lung Foundation Scotland, said: “Everyone knows that cigarette smoke is harmful. What we don’t all know is that more than 85 per cent of smoke is invisible and has no smell. That hidden danger can linger and kids who are exposed are at greater risk of diseases from glue ear to asthma, meningitis and cot death.

“We have to get second-hand smoke right out of our homes and away from children. Every parent wants to do the right thing to protect their kids. This campaign will give them the tools and information to do just that.”

For help and advice on how to take smoking right outside, visit www.rightoutside.org

See the advert at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5pZz_78DJQ

Hospitals to become smoke-free

NHS grounds to be completely smoke-free by 2015 under new Scottish Government plans

In a move to promote smoke-free environments and healthier lifestyles, patients, visitors and staff will no longer be able to smoke on NHS sites. Under the plans, people who smoke will be offered advice and support to help them not to smoke during hospital visits as well as access to specialist smoking cessation services for those wanting to quit. NHS Boards will be required to implement and enforce smoke-free policies across their grounds by March 2015.

Health Secretary Mr Alex Neil (pictured below) said: “This Government has ambitious plans to reduce the number of people choosing to smoke. To this end, we want to build on the ban on smoking in public places, which was introduced seven years ago this week, by ensuring that our hospital grounds become smoke-free.

“We know that smoking is extremely harmful to health and causes in excess of 13,000 deaths per year in Scotland. The toll of smoking on our nation’s health cannot be underestimated. Creating smoke-free hospital grounds sends out a powerful message that every visit to our health service is an opportunity to promote and improve people’s health.

“We all know how unpleasant it can be to walk through a cloud of smoke in order to enter or leave a building. These measures will help to ensure that we create a healthier environment for people who use, visit and work in our health service. That is why we believe staff, patients and visitors will support and respect this decision and refrain from smoking until off-site.”

In 2005 the Scottish Government issued guidance on smoking policies for the NHS, local authorities and care providers which gave NHS boards the power to ban smoking on their premises. The new measures will not apply to mental health facilities, which have an exemption to allow the provision of designated smoking rooms under the original smoke-free legislation.