Youth Work and Smoking Prevention Alastair MacKinnon Chief Executive FAST FORWARD
Scottish Government Tobacco Control Strategy In March 2013 the Scottish Government launched a new Tobacco Control Strategy Creating a Generation Free From Tobacco Key elements of the Strategy are: Prevention creating an environment where young people do not want to smoke. Protection protecting people from second-hand smoke. Cessation helping people to quit smoking. Identifies and sets the target of Scotland being smoke-free by 2034 Highlights a need for partnership working and local asset based approaches
Current Picture - Smoking Prevalence in Scotland
Smoking in Scotland s most deprived areas Scotland s most deprived areas
Tobacco use amongst younger teenagers
Tobacco use amongst 16-24 year olds
We need to stop young people getting started!
Where are we trying to get to? We need to have more success in the next 21 years than we have had in the last 40
Tobacco Control Strategy Relevant Actions Action 6: We will establish a Prevention Sub-Group of the Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco Control. The Sub-Group will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the preventative actions in this Strategy, and for advising the Scottish Government on new actions to prevent the uptake of smoking among young people. The Sub-Group will ensure alignment with wider national prevention priorities and collaborations. Action 13: We will work with the youth sector to support smoking prevention programmes.
Ministerial Sub Group on Tobacco Prevention Chair : Louise Macdonald Young Scot Group members: George Dodds, NHS Health Scotland Professor Amanda Amos, University of Edinburgh Hugh Scott (Youth Work & Health) Inverclyde John Higgins, Education Scotland Donald Lockhart, ASH Scotland Dr James Cant, British Lung Foundation Alastair Mackinnon, Fast Forward Paul Ballard, Retired Deputy Director of Public Health, NHS Tayside Lois Marshall, Youth Scotland Alex Hilliam, Changeworks Ian Hay, YouthLink Scotland Lucy Harvey, Stirling University Student Union Lisa Murphy, Youth Commission Daniel Kleinberg, Scottish Government Tobacco, Alcohol & Diet Siobhan Mackay Scottish Government Tobacco Control David Kerr, MSYP
Tobacco Control Strategy Prevention Actions STRATEGY ACTION 7 DETAIL Reinvest any recovered costs in prevention programmes designed to support young people to choose not to smoke. 9 Work with learning establishments and partner agencies to identify good practice and high quality resources which will be shared on the GLOW schools intranet site. 13 Work with the youth sector to support smoking prevention programmes. 15 25 In conjunction with relevant bodies, including higher and further education and vocational training providers, we will explore what measures can be developed to support young people between 16-24 in making decisions about smoking and other health behaviours. Scottish Government will look to the Prevention Sub-Group of the Ministerial Working Group on Tobacco Control to provide advice on further options for reducing the attractiveness, availability and affordability of all tobacco and smoking-related products.
Youth Sector Tobacco Prevention Group Action 13 - We will work with the youth sector to support smoking prevention programmes = Youth Sector Tobacco Prevention Group October 2013 - ASH Scotland Youth Conference Developing environments where young people choose not to smoke. Conference highlighted several important issues and ideas, including: Innovative approaches needed, not just a health message. Links with other substance misuse issues and approaches. Build on existing and effective youth work practices, particularly peer education. Motivation to address tobacco exists but often lack of time, funding, knowledge and resources get in the way. Following the ASH Scotland Youth Conference, Youthlink Scotland, Youth Scotland, Fast Forward, Young Scot and ASH Scotland agreed to form the Youth Sector Tobacco Prevention Group in order to collectively address these and other issues.
Structure and membership of Youth Sector Group The group now has formal responsibility for delivery of actions in support of Action 13 and it reports directly to the Ministerial Sub-Group. Group Chair - chaired jointly by ASH Scotland and Fast Forward Administrative support provided by Youthlink Scotland. We plan to meet every 2-3 months over the next 15 months. Group members: Louise Macdonald, Young Scot Hugh Scott, Inverclyde Council Donald Lockhart, ASH Scotland John Watson ASH Scotland Lois Marshall, Youth Scotland George Cherrie, Youth Scotland Alastair Mackinnon, Fast Forward/SPEN Simon Atkins, Fast Forward/SPEN Ian Hay, YouthLink Scotland Emma Hogg, NHS Health Scotland
Remit of the Group The group will focus on four aims: Gather, highlight and share information on effective community based tobacco projects and activities; Support youth workers to have challenging conversations with young people about tobacco use; Promote the message to youth groups and workers that tobacco prevention is their business via appropriate events; Explore how to effectively link and embed tobacco into youth work activities and projects that already focus on drugs and alcohol issues by building on existing youth work approaches and practices.
Actions and activities for the group Developing a 15 month action plan that includes: Gather and share information on effective tobacco prevention activities and projects. Local events that share information on alcohol, drugs and tobacco and highlight good practice. Fill knowledge gaps via training and awareness raising workshops. Develop an online resource recognised as THE place to go for tobacco information, resources and session ideas. Offer a small grants scheme to help groups get tobacco activity off the ground. Develop a tobacco campaign/brand that makes it clear that tobacco is an issue for all youth workers. Encourage and support community youth partners to run smoke-free events.
Some questions you may wish to consider at discussion time How can we help or support you with youth tobacco prevention activity in your area? What are the main challenges that you think tobacco prevention faces in youth work? What opportunities do you have for helping overcome at least some of those challenges? THANK YOU. alastair@fastforward.org.uk @alfastforward