Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan: What It Means For You

A Health-promoting Service…

We believe the people of Scotland need and deserve a service that is quicker, safer, more reliable and more focused on promoting health rather than treating disease.

The single-most important thing people can do to improve their health is to stop smoking or, better still, never start. That's why we're pledging an additional £3m a year to support a new Action Plan on Smoking and are continuing to develop a network of smoking cessation services across Scotland.

Illness and deaths from alcohol abuse are increasing in Scotland. We'll be publishing a Strategy on Alcohol Abuse in 2008, backed by an extra £85m over three years to expand treatment and support for people with alcohol problems, and will drive forward health interventions that help people to stop, or reduce, their drinking.

We'll also be publishing a new National Drugs Strategy and action plan in Spring 2008 to improve treatments, increase education, protect children of drug-abusing parents and further develop anti-drugs law.

We're taking a two-pronged approach to tackling obesity by promoting healthier eating and increased physical activity. More than £11m has been earmarked over the next three years to help people, especially young people, to tackle obesity through diet and activity.

And young people will also be the focus of our efforts to reduce sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies through widely available education and information.