MAKING AN IMPACT ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 MAKING AN IMPACT ANNUAL REPORT 2016/2017 A

2 68% OF SMOKERS IN SCOTLAND SAY THEY WANT TO QUIT Throughout the year we have been constantly striving to find new ways to support those people across Scotland who want to stop smoking.

3 MAKING AN IMPACT ON Research, information and policy development PAGE 2 Children and young people PAGE 5 IMPACT Project PAGE 6 Inequalities PAGE 8 Alliances PAGE 11 Funding PAGE 12 Left: Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive Right: Mary Cuthbert, Chair of the Board SO THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE will choose to remain free from tobacco we have worked with a wide range of partners interested in their health and welfare. This year we have championed the development of comprehensive policies in schools and youth work organisations and supported the first colleges in Scotland to declare their campuses tobacco-free. SO THAT MORE PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES FREE FROM SECOND-HAND SMOKE, we have increased the reach of the national Take it Right Outside campaign, and offered practical support to assist families in deprived communities in creating smoke-free homes. We also worked with LAACYP (Looked after and accommodated children and young people s) services and national organisations, promoting best-practice tobacco policies and advising on practical implementation. TO BUILD GREATER SUPPORT FOR A TOBACCO-FREE GENERATION, we continued to develop and promote Scotland s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation, persuading an increasingly wide range of organisations to sign up and commit to practical actions towards achieving the 2034 vision. We drive wider action on smoking and inequalities by forging joint activities with partners in public health. This year we established a new Cross Party Group called Improving Scotland s Health: 2021 and Beyond which allies organisations tackling smoking, alcohol and obesity. As ever, ASH Scotland is underpinned by our Information Service (which is available as a free public resource to all interested in tobacco control in Scotland) to ensure that our all of our work is evidence-based. We continue to ensure that our own governance is carried out to the highest standard and in the financial year look forward to working with our partners and colleagues to map out the next steps in our journey to a tobacco-free Scotland. SO THAT MORE PEOPLE STOP SMOKING, PARTICULARLY FROM DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES, we have been working to support money advice services to join up with stopsmoking service provision. We have made significant advances in our engagement with community based mental health services, and improved our communication with service user groups. The launch of our IMPACT guidance for services was warmly received by voices from across the sector. 1

4 We helped to develop the Scottish Government s advisory campaign on new legislation to prevent smoking in vehicles when children are present, which builds on the work of the Take it right outside campaign, and were pleased to see the target on the proportion of children who were exposed to second-hand smoke in the home met ahead of schedule. However, the bulk of external enquiries handled by the Information Service continue to be from people frustrated by smoke-drift into their own homes from communal areas and neighbouring dwellings. Nearly 85% of tobacco smoke is invisible and there is more work to be done in convincing local authorities that it is a well-evidenced health hazard rather than a mere nuisance. MAKING AN IMPACT ON Research, information and policy development A Scottish Parliament election in 2016 kept us busy identifying fresh new faces, new roles and new people to influence, new cross party groups to set up and new cross party groups to attend. Smoking is about so much more than public policy though so we ve also been moving into the wider realms of social justice and public health to work on mental health, dementia prevention, prisons, and poverty and trying to find better ways to support the 68% of smokers in Scotland who consistently say in surveys that they really want to quit. In amongst a raft of new legislation to protect future generations from exposure to second-hand smoke and the allure of tobacco branding it s important not to lose sight of current smokers as between half and two thirds of them will lose their lives to smoking, often after many years of ill health. The Information Service plans to explore the cost of smoking to Scotland s public purse and to find innovative ways to support health professionals, mental health support workers and money advice services raise the issue of smoking with their client groups. We need to find the tools to enable those engaging with smokers in any capacity to feel confident about offering support to quit, and in a way which smokers won t see as stigmatising but recognise instead as a life-prolonging and life-saving intervention. Smoking in Scotland remains a battle half won and we look forward to keeping up the fight in 2017/18. Tobacco-Free Generation by 2034 Adult (age 16+) smoking prevalence in Scotland 1998 to 2034 from the Scottish Health Survey and future average decline Scottish Health Survey Scottish Government projections are based on a rate of 7.7% of smokers stopping smoking each year. If that rate drops, and previous per year quitting percentages were lower, then reaching the 2034 target will become harder and harder. For example, a reduction in the cessation rate by one fortieth each year until 2024 moves the tobacco-free date back to 2041, even if you factor in huge drops in youth smoking. With such great reductions in youth smoking over recent times, greater emphasis must be placed on current smokers to help make the current generation of smokers part of the tobacco-free generation by

5 NEARLY 85% OF TOBACCO Keep up to date Follow us on SMOKE Subscribe to our blog tobaccounpacked. wordpress.com/ Read our daily and weekly bulletins Browse our online tobacco-related research pages (updated weekly) IS INVISIBLE Sign-up to our campaigns list Get support for smokefree homes, schools, campuses and events Visit our library and press cuttings archive (printed media from 1993 onwards) There is more work to be done in convincing local authorities that smoke-drift is a wellevidenced health hazard rather than a mere nuisance. Download free information briefings and fast facts from the website enquiries@ ashscotland.org.uk if you have any questions about tobacco and health in Scotland. Tell us if you think there s something more we should be doing! 3

6 36 YOUNG PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND START SMOKING EVERY DAY 4

7 MAKING AN IMPACT ON Children and young people SMOKING IS PRESENTED AS A FREE ADULT CHOICE, BUT IS MORE COMMONLY AN UNWILLING ADDICTION BEGUN IN CHILDHOOD. TWO THIRDS OF SMOKERS STARTED AS CHILDREN AND 36 YOUNG PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND EVERY DAY TAKE THIS STEP WITH HUGE IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR HEALTH, WEALTH AND FUTURE. Activities this year included: delivery of training on children, carers and second-hand smoke for staff in family support services, and the development of a parents workshop pack for ongoing use by family support practitioners a commission by the University of Aberdeen to develop an online training package to support the AFRESH air quality monitoring research project work in partnership with the Care Inspectorate and others to develop national tobacco-free guidance for all residential providers of care for children and young people successful promotion of the high quality online Tobacco-free Generation resources to the youth work sector through social media and events, supported by key national youth work organisations work in partnership with NUS Scotland to support the delivery of the Healthy Body Healthy Mind award in Scottish colleges and universities, developing and delivering training and promoting resources to participating institutes direct support for cross campus, multi-agency working groups in further education colleges to review smoking culture on campus and develop policies and implementations plans to make practical changes towards creating a smoke-free culture across campus successful support for 12 secondary schools, in partnership with NHS Lothian, to become Tobacco-free Schools, with new policies and implementation plans across the school ethos, grounds and curriculum delivery development of learning, experience and resources to support schools to implement the Tobacco-free Schools approach, accessible through Glow and Times Education Supplement (TES). Work with us in to: complete our three year children, carers and second-hand smoke project and communicate its successes and challenges at a smoke-free homes focussed learning event develop e-learning packages to enable easily accessible learning on a range of tobacco-related topics consult with kinship carers, foster carers and organisations who support them to inform the development of early intervention work to address the uncharacteristically high prevalence of smoking and second-hand smoke exposure among children who are looked after consult and develop new messages and materials on changing attitudes to proxy purchase explore and consult with the training and employability sector to inform the future actions aimed at addressing health inequalities and the high smoking prevalence amongst young adults aged year olds in the most deprived areas develop college or university action plans around the criteria for the 2017/18 Healthy Body Healthy Mind award, run by NUS Scotland, for smoking prevention and stop smoking support review, develop and implement smoke-free policies across college campuses in Scotland deliver the second phase of the NHS Lothian funded Lothian Schools Project to new schools across the Lothians region promote the learning and Tobacco-free School approach and resources across Scotland s localities. 5

8 2017 SAW THE ROLL OUT OF THE IMPACT PROJECT OFFERING MORE SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY BASED THIRD SECTOR MENTAL HEALTH ORGANISATIONS 6

9 AFTER A VARIETY OF WORKSHOPS AND FOCUS GROUPS WE PRODUCED A PROJECT WEBSITE, GUIDANCE DOCUMENT AND SUPPORT PACK TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE LINKS BETWEEN SMOKING AND POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND ENCOURAGE PRACTITIONERS TO DISCUSS SMOKING WITH THE PEOPLE THEY SUPPORT. We know that people experiencing poor mental health are more likely to smoke and to smoke more heavily than the general population, which results in a higher burden of smoking-related illness and disease being borne by this already-disadvantaged group. This means that addressing smoking is not only necessary but now also a priority and so should be part of the day-to-day work done in community-based mental health settings. 7

10 MAKING AN IMPACT ON Inequalities WE WORK WITH A RANGE OF ORGANISATIONS WHICH ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE LIVING IN SCOTLAND TODAY, INCLUDING: MONEY ADVICE SERVICES, THIRD SECTOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, CARERS AND OTHER CHARITIES WHO PROVIDE VITAL ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO THOSE IN NEED. WE HELP THESE ORGANISATIONS CONSIDER HOW TOBACCO MAY BE AFFECTING THE LIVES AND WELL-BEING OF THEIR SERVICE USERS, AND HOW VULNERABLE GROUPS MAY BE SUPPORTED TO ADDRESS THIS. During this year we: successfully completed the second year of the IMPACT Project (Improving Mental and Physical health Achieving Cessation Targets) funded by the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation. We produced a project website, guidance document and support pack for staff working within community-based third sector mental health organisations to raise awareness of the links between smoking and poor mental health and encourage practitioners to discuss smoking with the people they support secured follow-up funding from the Scottish Government to continue the work of the IMPACT Project for an additional 12 month period successfully engaged in the consultation process around the new mental health strategy and achieved recognition within the strategy through one of the headline actions outlining the need to target smoking cessation programmes towards people with mental health problems were commissioned by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital to undertake and complete a consultation with staff, patients and families/carers to explore the ongoing challenges faced by adult inpatient mental health services in relation to becoming a smoke-free hospital Work with us in to: continue work around the IMPACT Project focussing on: intensive engagement with third sector mental health organisations within the Edinburgh and Lothians area to encourage practitioners to use the IMPACT Guidance and website; develop and deliver a training course on smoking and mental health for third sector practitioners; and develop a roll-out model to make the Project accessible across Scotland explore opportunities for the next tobacco strategy to develop actions delivering on the headline action around smoking cessation programmes within the new mental health strategy develop and trial new materials for use by staff in a variety of financial advice services, supporting them in discussing the costs of smoking with their clients work in partnership with the Poverty Alliance to consult with community and anti-poverty groups on their awareness and attitudes regarding smoking as an issue that affects the people they work with publish a how to guide for credit unions wishing to set up a Cashtray scheme, helping those who stop smoking to put aside some of the money they save. delivered a pilot Cashtray scheme with West Lothian Credit Union, collating and recording the learning from the experience explored new partnerships with local food banks and citizens advice bureau to ascertain how we might support them in discussing smoking with their service users set up a new Dementia Defence coalition, bringing together a variety of sectoral interests to explore how lifestyle changes around smoking, diet, exercise, socialising and learning can help to reduce dementia risk. 8

11 REMOVING SMOKING COSTS WOULD LIFT HOUSEHOLDS IN SCOTLAND OUT OF POVERTY 9

12 IN 2017 WE PASSED THE 100 SIGNATORIES MARK Scotland s Charter for a Tobacco-Free generation is now showing great diversity in terms of sector recruitment and geographical spread. 10

13 MAKING AN IMPACT ON Alliances Scottish Tobacco-free Alliance (STA) The Scottish Tobacco-free Alliance (STA) formed four action groups leading to influential outcomes around smoke-free homes, changing the culture of tobacco supply to children and the 16 to 24 age group. Two guides were produced that are helping to raise awareness of the benefits of locally coordinated tobacco-free action. The STA Research Group continues to be a focus for structured debate and looked at Decipher Assist, the piloting of peer mediated health messaging in secondary schools, and innovations in support of smokers experiencing poor mental health. In a first for the STA a national awareness-raising campaign is planned for November 2017 to encourage adults to reduce the routes by which our teens get a hold of tobacco. Scotland s Charter for a Tobacco-Free Generation CHARTER AWARDS The first Charter Awards took place in November 2016 in the Scottish Parliament. Eight organisations received awards for their significant contributions in working towards a tobacco-free generation. The awards were presented by relevant regional and constituency MSPs and received positive local and national news coverage. COMMENDATION A commendation scheme was introduced for organisations reaching one year of positive engagement with the Charter evaluation process. 60% of eligible organisation received Commendations this year. We aim to improve on this next year. DELIVERING POSITIVE OUTCOMES Evaluation feedback tells us that endorsing the Charter is leading to significant and measurable changes in organisational activity. Developing tobacco policies, providing staff training and awarenessraising opportunities, creating tobacco specific resources and building tobacco prevention into existing youth work and school programmes are among the most frequently reported activities. 11

14 MAKING AN IMPACT WITH OUR Funding ASH Scotland is the national health charity working to reduce the harm and inequality caused by tobacco. We are known for our policy and campaigning work, but the majority of our resources are spent providing services that support other agencies and sectors to address tobacco use. As ever, we gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders. 2% 6% 3% 10% 33% Income Core funding from Government 2% Government funded projects The Robertson Trust British Heart Foundation Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation Cancer Research UK Donations, interest and earned income 44% 9% Use of funds Cost of Generating Funds Information Service Partnerships & Alliances Policy, Research and Communications Youth and Inequalities 40% 24% 10% 17% 12

15 MEETING SCOTLAND S TOBACCO FREE TARGET WOULD BOOST SCOTLAND S POOREST COMMUNITIES BY 350M A YEAR 13

16 ASH Scotland provides a broad range of services to help public, private and third sector organisations address the harm tobacco causes to their clients, staff, service users and communities. Our professional and highly skilled staff are able to deliver on a wide spectrum of commissioned work, for example: BRIEFING PAPERS on any subject related to tobacco and health, from one-page overviews to tailored briefing papers and evidence reviews to comprehensive policy analysis. SURVEYS AND FOCUS GROUPS of community interests such as potential service users or young people. ADVICE AND SUPPORT for partners to develop local tobacco plans. DELIVERY OF TOBACCO AWARENESS RAISING SESSIONS for staff, board members, clients or other groups. DEVELOPMENT OF TOBACCO POLICIES for services, from schools and youth groups through to mental health projects or family support. Ash Scotland 8 Frederick Street Edinburgh EH2 2HB t: e: enquiries@ ashscotland.org.uk w: Action on Smoking & Health (Scotland) (ASH Scotland) is a registered Scottish charity (SC ) and a company limited by guarantee (Scottish company no ). The registered office is 8 Frederick Street, Edinburgh EH2 2HB. Designed by Michael Dunlop,