Guidance on Smoking, Vaping and Foster Care

Introduction

This guidance on Smoking, Vaping and Foster Care supports the following corporate and service objectives:

• Tayside Plan for Infants, Children, Young People and Families, 2023-2026: Our children will enjoy good physical and mental health.
• Perth and Kinross Council Corporate Plan 2022-2027: Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality.

Underpinning the updated guidance is the Scottish Government's strategy which has the vision that "Scotland is to be a smoke free country by 2034"; the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently going through the UK Parliament.

It takes into account the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and best practice guidance from BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering), specifically Practice Note 51, Reducing the Risk of Environmental Smoke Damage for Looked After Children and their Carers. Carers who smoke should read these as part of their learning and development.

Perth and Kinross Council's original foster care smoking policy (2008) was the result of a working group comprising representatives from medical, health, social work staff and foster carers together with consideration of managers and Elected Members. The updated guidance (2025) has been produced by social workers in the fostering team and scrutinised by the medical advisor. The aim is to promote the health and wellbeing of children who are Looked After and Accommodated, while at the same time ensuring that as wide a choice of placement as possible is available to meet the needs of children and young people from 0-18 years.
 

Conditions

From the implementation date of this guidance the following conditions apply:

1. Fostering applicants for children up to and including the age of 11 years must be non-smokers and non-vapers. This also applies to other adults in the house.
2. Fostering applicants for children of all ages with a disability must be non-smokers and non-vapers: disability in this context means children who are often unable to play outside, all children with respiratory problems such as asthma and all those with heart disease or other medical condition deemed relevant by the medical advisor.
3. Foster carers who have successfully given up smoking should not be allowed to foster high risk groups (children under 5, children with a disability, chest problems, heart disease or other medical conditions deemed relevant by the medical advisor) until they have stopped smoking  for a minimum period of 12 months.
4. Foster carers for young people aged 12 years upwards who smoke or vape are required to smoke or vape outwith the house and if possible not in view of children and young people.
5. Placement within a smoking or vaping household can only be made where the young person does not have a known respiratory problem.
6. Foster carers who continue to smoke or vape should be proactively encouraged to stop. Information on smoking/vaping cessation should be sought from their GP.
7. Foster carers who smoke should receive extra information about the risks of burns and fire from smoking and carer preparation sessions should include this guidance and all risks associated with smoking and vaping.
8. All foster carers should keep up to date regarding guidance and statutes relating to adult and children smoking and vaping.
9. All carers should be advised against buying cigarettes and vapes for children and young people. Cigarettes or vapes should never be used as a reward for good behaviour.
10. Foster carers should seek support, advice and guidance from their supervising social worker and the child's social worker on how to help children or young people who smoke or vape when they come into foster care stop smoking, in line with helping Scotland become smoke free by 2034.