More than 10,000 people a year in Scotland are dying as a result of alcohol, tobacco, or unhealthy diets, but the Scottish Government "has lost its way" in tackling public health harms according to campaigners.

A major report published today by the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance Scotland, a coalition of 24 health organisations, warns that Scotland's population health is in a state of decline as it calls for tougher actions to reduce the impact of health-harming products on consumers.

NCDs - including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and lung disease - were responsible for more than 52,000 deaths in Scotland in 2023, around 80% of the total.

READ MORE:

Of these, it is estimated that a fifth are linked to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food and drink.

In its report, ‘Creating a Healthier Scotland’, the Alliance sets out a 10-year vision which includes restrictions on advertising, sponsorship and packaging of these products, in particular to children and young people, as well as exploring levies, taxation and curbs on marketing.

They also call for measures to reduce their availability while promoting the availability of healthy alternatives.

The strategy has been developed over 18 months in consultation with an advisory panel of Scottish public health experts and input from more 60 public health experts from Scotland, the UK and internationally.

NCD Alliance Scotland - which includes organisations such as the British Heart Foundation Scotland, Alcohol Focus Scotland, Obesity Action Scotland - said its recommendations "could result in a significant transformation of health outcomes within a decade, re-establishing Scotland as a world leader in public health".

Scotland 'led the way' with minimum unit pricing   (Image: PA) While Scotland was the first part of the UK to enforce an indoor smoking ban in public places in 2006, and later blazed a trail with the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol - recently increasing the levy from 50 pence to 65 pence per unit - the Alliance cautioned that other commitments to restrict alcohol marketing and unhealthy food promotions have been "repeatedly delayed".

Back in 2017, the Scottish Government unveiled plans to ban cut-price deals such as two-for-one offers on junk food as part of its anti-obesity strategy.

However, the legislation was shelved in 2020 - pending a renewed consultation - as a result of the impact of the pandemic on retailers.

Meanwhile, the Government has been accused of "dragging its feet" over alcohol marketing restrictions in the wake of opposition from the industry to a previous consultation which concluded in March 2023.

It has now commissioned Public Health Scotland to review the evidence for marketing curbs.

Previous proposals on obesity had included measures to limit portion size for takeaways, as well as bans on multibuy deals  (Image: PA) David McColgan, chair of the NCD Alliance Scotland, said Scotland had "led the way" with the smoking ban and minimum unit pricing during the 25 years since devolution, but added: “It is apparent that the Scottish Government has lost its way and its bravery in taking principled stances to protect the health of the people of Scotland.

“Government inaction only serves to prolong the suffering of those most in need of support in Scotland.

"And the disparity in health outcomes is only growing, with tactics such as price promotion, marketing and availability, strangling individuals’ choices.

“This work is a call to Government and parliamentarians to look at the actions of health harming industries, who profit from the ill-health of Scots.

"It is a call to regulate their activities and reduce their influence and availability of health harming products like alcohol, tobacco and high fat salt and sugar food and drink in our communities.

“Government action doesn't reduce choice for consumers it protects that choice and helps make the healthy choice the easy choice for all people in Scotland."

Youngsters who vape are more likely to take up smoking later (Image: Getty) Alison Douglas, CEO of Alcohol Focus Scotland said: “This strategy is published at a pivotal moment when Scotland is in the grip of an alcohol emergency, with alcohol specific deaths having just reached a 15-year high of 1,277.

"These deaths were all entirely preventable.

“With changes to drinking patterns during the Covid-19 pandemic having become embedded, Scotland faces a ticking time bomb of alcohol related illness in the coming years unless we take bold action now.”

Despite falling smoking rates, tobacco remains the number one cause of avoidable early deaths in Scotland. 

Research also indicates that young people who use E-cigarettes to vape are much more likely to take up tobacco smoking. 

Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, said: “The lack of regulations restricting the visibility and availability of vapes is playing into the hands of Big Tobacco.

"Government must use all available powers to eradicate the damage that profit-centred multi-national tobacco corporations are inflicting on people’s lives, especially in our poorest communities.”

READ MORE: 

Dr Andrew Fraser, chair of Obesity Action Scotland, called on the Government to "quicken progress towards the diet and health plans that have been in place for some time".

He added: "Changing the commercial environment in which we decide to buy and consume food, drink, alcohol and tobacco is essential to change our prospects for health."

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “We welcome this report and are continuing to engage closely with the NCD Alliance Scotland.

"Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government.

"This work supports the development of the Population Health Framework, which will consider what more can be done to address the social and economic causes of ill health and to build a Scotland – with places and communities – that positively supports health and wellbeing.”