TobaccoFree Schools Project Implementing tobaccofree policies developing tobacco

Tobacco-Free Schools Project Implementing tobacco-free policies & developing tobacco prevention activities Donald Lockhart, ASH Scotland

Tobacco-free Schools Project • Why did we do it? • Who did we do it with? • What did we do? Phase 1 Developing tobacco-free policies. • What did we do? Phase 2 Implementing and supporting tobacco policies-free policies • Where are we now? 12 schools, 12 tobacco-free policies, 12 different stories, built on similar themes.

Why did we do it? • Scottish Government’s Tobacco Control Strategy 2013: Sets a target to reduce smoking prevalence amongst school aged young people from the (then) rate of 13% by 2. 5% every two years until a floor of 2% is reached: “we expect schools and local authorities to work closely with local partners from health, justice and the Third Sector to fulfil the potential offered by the Curriculum for Excellence. ” • Build on the strong foundation of local authority tobacco policies that support 2006 smoke-free legislation. • Becoming a Tobacco-free School formally expresses a school’s commitment to health and well-being. It encourages and supports healthy behaviour choices by pupils, staff and visitors.

Who was involved? West Lothian: Armadale Academy, (850 pupils) Bathgate Academy, (850 pupils) Deans CHS, Livingston (1000 pupils) Inveralmond CHS Livingston (1200 pupils) St. Kentigern’s Academy, Blackburn (1200 pupils) Edinburgh City: Castlebrae CHS, Craigmillar (130 pupils) Currie CHS, Currie (800 pupils) Firrhill High School, Oxgangs (1100 pupils) Royal High School, Barnton (1100 pupils) Mid Lothian: St David’s High School, Dalkeith (600 pupils) East Lothian: Dunbar Grammar, (850 pupils) North Berwick High School, (800 pupils)

Funding & support – what’s in it for the schools? • Each school identified a lead teacher responsible for reviewing, developing and implementing their tobacco-free policy. • 50 hours paid time for the lead teacher to focus on tobacco-free policy development. • £ 300 for each school to purchase tobacco education resources. • Tobacco specific support and consultation from an ASH Scotland expert.

Project stages • Phase 1 – Review and Development (November 2015 – June 2016) • Phase 2 – Policy Implementation (August 2016 – June 217)

Phase 1 Review and Development (November 2015 June 2016) • What do we already have in place? – Review what policies are currently in place. • What do we already do? – Review current attitude and approach to tobacco in and around the school. • What do we already deliver? – Review current tobacco education delivery. • What do we want to put in place, what do we want to do and what do we want to deliver? – Identify realistic and achievable actions that could be taken to implement and support a health promoting tobacco-free policy.

Phase 1 - Consultation • We wanted pupils, teachers, staff and parents/carers to have a say • By gathering, listening to and reflecting their views, could we help pupils, teachers, staff and parents/carers to feel more involved and start to take ownership of the policy? • We wanted to raise awareness and increase the profile of the health protecting, health promoting rationale behind the policy • How did we do it? Loads of ways! • • • Online questionnaires Questions and discussions in registration Sessions in PSE • • Year group assemblies Pupil and staff focus groups Departmental meetings Parent night surveys

Policy checklist and action plan Effective tobacco policy development and implementation is generally supported by a handful of key policy elements: 1. Tobacco-free environment 2. Tobacco-free policy implementation 3. Prevention and education 4. Smoking cessation support 5. Tobacco policy management

Policy checklist - environment Tobacco-free environment Does your school have a formal, written tobacco-free policy? Has your school taken steps to develop your tobacco-free policy beyond the standard/generic local authority tobacco policy for schools? Does your tobacco policy address smoking behaviour by pupils? Does your tobacco policy address smoking behaviour by teaching staff? Does your tobacco policy address smoking behaviour by contracted support staff (i. e. janitorial staff)? Does your tobacco policy address smoking behaviour by visitors? Does your tobacco policy address smoking behaviour amongst parents/guardians waiting at school gates/entrances? Does the policy prohibit peer to peer sales of tobacco products? Does the policy address the issue of pupils supplying other pupils with tobacco products? Does the policy contain an overarching statement which discourages the possession of tobacco products by pupils on school grounds / on school trips? Is the tobacco policy applied in school grounds/outdoor areas? Is the tobacco policy applied in school vehicles? Is the tobacco policy applied on off-site school trips? Does the policy apply to all other school events both on and off campus? Does your tobacco policy only apply during standard school day times (9. 00 am to 3. 30 pm)? Does the tobacco policy for your school apply to non-school events or external users/organisations using school buildings, grounds or vehicles in evenings or weekends? Score Yes No Potential Actions Rank Actions (1 st 2 nd 3 rd etc)

Policy checklist • It is NOT set of expectations or demands. • It is NOT intended to say ‘this must be done’ or ‘that must be said’. • It is NOT a prescriptive recipe for developing a ‘policy by numbers’. • There is NO expectation for schools to try to do all of it. • It IS simply designed to help each school focus their thinking on: • • What do we already have in place? What do we think we would like to do? What are the important things that we think we should do? Realistically, what are the main things that we will commit to and achieve?

Action plans Action. What will you do? Time. When will you do it? Responsibility. Who will lead delivery? Resources. What do you need? Milestones. What steps will you take? Target. What does success look like? Example: Increase monitoring of areas where smokers are known to congregate Ongoing and continual from Sept. 2016 Pupil Support Lead. Staff time Supportive enforcement conversations with groups of smokers. Number of smokers reduced Tobacco-free policy flyers Raise awareness of tobacco-free school policy and rationale behind it. Increase in number of pupils engaging with onsite smoking cessation support. Comments

Phase 2 – Policy implementation (August 2016 – June 2017)

Policy Implementation – our keys to success • Committed project management and pupil involvement • Appropriate consultation with pupils, staff and parents/carers • Awareness raising • Stop smoking support focusing on young people • Effective partnerships • Developing new tobacco prevention lesson activities • Planning for future development and tobacco prevention activity

Quick recap • Why did we do it? • Who did we do it with? • What did we do? Phase 1 Developing tobacco-free policies-checklists and action plans • What did we do? Phase 2 Implementing and supporting tobacco policiesfree policies – putting plans into practice • Where are we now? 12 schools, 12 tobacco-free policies, 12 different stories, built on similar themes.

And finally, a MASSIVE thank you! • All of our schools, and in particular, our school leads. They have done a superb job under major pressure. WELL DONE! • Our partnership supporters: Avril and Diana at NHS Lothian, Alastair and Laura at Fast Forward, Lesley and Brian at WLDAS/Cloud 9 (apologies to the forgotten ) • Sheila Wilson at NHS Lothian for our evaluation – more on that later. • Colin Lumsdaine at NHS Lothian for having the idea in the first place!

Thanks everyone