Smoke-free legislation

In March 2006, the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 (external webiste) prohibited smoking in virtually all enclosed public places with only a few exemptions (external website). Further information about the legislation can be found on the Scottish Government website, Clearing the Air (external).

View the publication and overview of findings from Scotland´s smoke-free legislation evaluation (2010)

Evaluation

NHS Health Scotland funded (2005-2011), in conjunction with the Scottish Government, a national evaluation of the impacts and outcomes associated with the legislation. The evaluation was being conducted by the Clean-air Legislation Evaluation (CLEAN) Collaboration, a collaboration involving over 50 government and academic researchers.

The evaluation was informed by An International Review of the Health and Economic Impacts of the Introduction of Restrictions on Smoking in Public Places (2005).

The evaluation focuses on the following key outcome areas:

• knowledge and attitudes
• smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption
• tobacco-related morbidity and mortality
• compliance
• exposure to second-hand smoke
• short and long-term health
• socio-cultural change
• economic impacts, and
• health inequalities.

Full details of the evaluation framework are published in:

Haw S, Gruer L, Amos A et al. Legislation on Smoking in Enclosed Public Places: how will we evaluate its impact? ´Journal of Public Health´ 2006;38:24-30 (external website).

The main components of the evaluation are analyses of routine datasets and a series of specifically commissioned studies to address specific research questions.

Commissioned Research

• Changes in Child Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (CHETS)
• Adult Exposure Study (Health Education Population Study - HEPS)
• Bar workers Health and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure (BHETSE) Study
• Study of Public Place Intervention on Tobacco Exposure (STOPIT)
• International Tobacco Control (ITC) Scotland extension
• Qualitative Community Study
• Qualitative Bar Study
• Qualitative Study of Smoking in the Home

Other linked studies and papers

Please note that the linked studies and papers below are indirectly, rather than directly, connected with a particular study.

• CHETS Post-Legislation 2006

• CHETS Pre-Legislation 2006

• HEPS Pre-Legislation Questionnaire

• HEPS Post-Leg Questionnaire

• Saliva Collection Protocol (Pre and Post-Legislation)

• Complete Protocols for BHETSE Phase I

• Complete Protocols for BHETSE - phase II

• Complete Protocols for BHETSE - phase III

• Qualitative Community Study - pre-legislation

Other linked researchers

Linked researchers whose papers are indirectly, rather than directly, connected with a particular study.

Dissemination

The findings from the evaluation are being disseminated through:

• Conferences - for example the 2007 ´Towards a smokefree society´ conference and 2011 World Congress of Epidemiology and 2011 World Congress of Epidemiology
• Research papers and reports

For further information about the national evaluation, please contact s.j.haw@stir.ac.uk or visit http://rms.stir.ac.uk/converis-stirling/person/11931 (external website).

Updated 8 July 2016