Mar 10, 2020Two Stories for No Smoking DayWednesday 11th March is No Smoking Day 2020. Here at ASH Scotland we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate the positive, personal, and sometimes unexpected results that people can gain from stopping smoking. To that end, here are two ‘Quit Journey’ stories provided to ASH Scotland that showcase #QYWresult. We hope…No Smoking Day5 min readNo Smoking Day5 min read
Feb 26, 2020Be smoke-free, achieve more on campusAt a time when the further and higher education sector is Scotland is investing more than ever in student support and improving staff wellbeing, there’s a real drive to shape learning environments to be places that support physical and mental wellbeing and prevent ill health. This month sees ASH Scotland…3 min read3 min read
Dec 4, 2019Scottish Tobacco-free Alliance: Annual Learning Day 2019Tuesday 27th November saw STA members gathering in Edinburgh for the STA Annual Learning Day. …Tobacco Free3 min readTobacco Free3 min read
Oct 4, 2019This Challenge Poverty Week, we need to talk about smoking and poverty.This week is Challenge Poverty Week. As part of this, the Poverty Alliance and other organisations across Scotland are highlighting how people are trapped by poverty and how it puts people in impossible situations. Solving poverty is about ensuring we can all participate in a just and compassionate society. Recognising…Smoking4 min readSmoking4 min read
Aug 28, 2019Be happier: the facts on young adults, smoking and mental healthLet’s be clear — addiction is not good for mental health. So much so that Tobacco Use Disorder (the name given to nicotine dependence) is a recognised psychiatric disorder. Of course the Be Free campaign is not about medical terms, but the conversations, attitudes and perceptions in the places where…Smoking3 min readSmoking3 min read
Aug 28, 2019Be Better Off — the facts on smoking, young adults and moneyThe latest official figures suggest that 17% of young adults (the 16–24 age range) smoke tobacco, averaging around 10 cigarettes a day (the actual question is “do you smoke tobacco at all?”). For these young people a substantial part of their money is, quite literally, going up in smoke. It…Smoking3 min readSmoking3 min read
Aug 20, 2019Have you made sure your Positive Destination is also a healthy one?Providing a health-promoting environment for young adults has immediate benefits for their attainment and engagement. While moving into positive destinations and having new experiences may be exciting for some young adults, it can be an unsettling and challenging time for others, especially those already experiencing poor mental health. …Smoking3 min readSmoking3 min read
Aug 15, 2019Tobacco, Mental Health and Human RightsHuman rights were established to protect fundamental values such as the ability to live, have a family and be free from cruel treatment. There are various instruments underpinning this: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and…Human Rights3 min readHuman Rights3 min read
Jul 25, 2019Smoking is a real drag on young people’s life chancesLet’s forget for a second that smoking is an addictive killer. Put that aside for now and let’s talk about cold, hard cash. Money makes the world go around. This is particularly true for young people, and especially those without too much money to play with. …Smoking3 min readSmoking3 min read
Jul 8, 2019Plastic cigarette butts should be binned like plastic cups and strawsThere is an urgent need to reduce the presence of single-use plastic in our environment — and it is encouraging to see governments beginning to announce concrete actions, such as bottle return schemes or restrictions on the production of particular items. There are really two kinds of single-use plastics. There…Environment3 min readEnvironment3 min read
