Stirling expert backs call for smoke-free school grounds and play areas

A University of Stirling public health expert has backed calls to expand smoke-free spaces in Scotland after a new report found overwhelming public support for measures that would prohibit smoking in school grounds, play areas and other outdoor spaces used by children.

The report, Take a Breath, was commissioned by ASH Scotland and informed by a short-life working group that included specialists from academia, the third sector and public sector organisations.

ASH Scotland has also published the results of an opinion poll which found that 93% of 1,061 respondents supported measures to prevent smoking in places frequented by children.

Professor Sean Semple, from the University of Stirling's Institute for Social Marketing and Health, was a member of the working group that helped inform the report which explored opportunities to expand smoke-free environments in Scotland and made recommendations to support future implementation, compliance and enforcement.

Professor Semple said: "Scotland has made remarkable progress in reducing the harm from second-hand tobacco smoke exposure. Smoke-free spaces do more than simply protect children from the direct harm of breathing second-hand smoke, they also reduce the visibility of smoking and help the next generation stay tobacco-free. This important report highlights how Scotland can take the next steps towards a smoke-free future."

Professor Sean Semple

The report builds on previous smoke-free legislation in Scotland, including regulations that prohibit smoking within 15 metres of NHS Scotland hospital buildings.

The report's authors argue that extending smoke-free environments could help create healthier spaces for children while contributing to Scotland's ambition of reducing smoking-related harm.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “Scotland’s UK-leading smoke-free public spaces legislation in 2006 was a major public health success, and was later extended to include vehicles with children present, and then a perimeter around NHS hospital buildings. Making children’s spaces smoke-free will help protect the youngest in society.

“With cigarettes still the biggest preventable killer of people in Scotland causing more than 7,000 deaths each year, it’s imperative that effective measures are taken to create healthy environments for children, free from these lethal products and enable us to build a healthier nation where everyone has the opportunity to grow up free from the harms caused by tobacco and exposure to toxic tobacco smoke.”