Non-Communicable Disease Prevention

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the report, Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Priorities for 2021/22, which was produced by nine charities, Alcohol Focus Scotland, Ash Scotland, Obesity Action Scotland, SHAAP, Asthma UK, British Lung Foundation Scotland, British Heart Foundation Scotland, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes Scotland and the Stroke Association, and which calls for proactive and ambitious policies to tackle how tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food are promoted and marketed and how treatment and outcomes for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can be improved; understands that NCDs include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, liver disease and lung disease and that, in 2020, these diseases were responsible for more than 40,000 deaths in Scotland, 62% of all deaths; further understands that analysis suggests that one in five of these deaths are preventable through public health action and that reducing the consumption of health harming products, like alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food and drink, is one of the key ways to reduce the number of lives lost to, and affected by, NCDs; acknowledges the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on progress towards tackling these issues; welcomes the Scottish Government’s work on tackling the causes of NCDs, including the introduction of minimum unit pricing and banning smoking in public places; recognises the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce legislation to further address issues related to health-harming products, and encourages everyone who is affected by health-harming products to seek advice and support from NHS Inform at nhsinform.scot.