#NOTAFAVOUR Campaign

ASH Scotland’s national #notafavour campaign has been extremely successful across Scotland.

This campaign focuses on challenging the attitudes and assumptions that lie behind adults giving cigarettes to children. Most smokers started as children and 66% of smokers say they wish they hadn’t started. It is not surprising then that nearly 70% of smokers say that they want to quit, yet 36 young people in Scotland take up smoking every day. Surveys of young people who smoke show that this is the most common way that they get hold of cigarettes. This campaign also supports the longer term Scottish Government Tobacco Control Strategy aim to reduce cigarette smoking and related illnesses, creating a Tobacco-Free Generation by 2034.

Alongside the Lothian Tobacco Prevention Working Group and NHS Lothian Health Promotion Service, Fast Forward is supporting the campaign in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Fast Forward’s Project Officer Laura Sharp, has been engaging with various work places which are involved with the Healthy Working Lives schemes.

Organisations have been offered support from a #notafavour information stall and/or by employees attending a short interactive workshop to help raise awareness of the campaign in their work places.

Since the start of the summer we have engaged with three work places – and around 90 employees have received information at the #notafavour information stall in their work places. Two of these events were part of their health and wellbeing events whilst the other organisation arranged for the stall to be set up within their foyer – and is in the process of arranging for their employees to participate in a short workshop.

Another large organisation is keen to be involved and support the #notafavour campaign with a #notafavour information stall as part of their future ‘mini’ health and wellbeing events across various departments where it is appropriate.

If you are interested in hearing more about #notafavour campaign or think we could work with your organisation, please contact Laura by email to discuss this further.

Further information on the #notafavour campaign is at https://notafavour.scot/.