National stop smoking campaigns are a “missed opportunity” to save lives

National stop smoking campaigns are a “missed opportunity” to direct people to more effective local support services, according to Yorkshire Cancer Research.

People are up to three times more likely to quit smoking for good with a combination of expert advice and stop smoking treatment, such as nicotine replacement therapy or vapes.

But each year, just 3% of people living in Yorkshire who smoke attempt to quit through their local stop smoking service (1, 2) while national campaigns focus on encouraging people to quit alone with the help of online tools.

With funding for stop smoking services set to double in 2024 (3), Yorkshire Cancer Research is calling for more investment in awareness campaigns that clearly direct people to local professional support.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research at Yorkshire Cancer Research said: “We welcome government plans to provide additional, ring-fenced funding for stop smoking services. Up to 2 in 3 people will die from a smoking-related cause if they do not quit (4), so it’s vital we do all we can to provide the very best support.

“However, the extra funding will only help save lives if people use these services. There must be more awareness among the public about the clear and well-documented benefits of professional support. We are missing an opportunity to save lives by placing stop smoking services at the heart of national campaigns and encouraging people to contact their local service for advice, rather than seeing their GP or attempting to quit alone.”

Nearly half a million people in Yorkshire smoke, and in some parts of the region – such as Hull, Barnsley and Bradford - nearly 1 in 5 people smoke (1).

Fewer people come forward for stop smoking support in Yorkshire than in other areas. For example, 2,600 per 100,000 people in Yorkshire who smoke received support to quit during the financial year 2022/23 compared to 3,750 in the North East (2).

During the same year, of the 15,826 people in Yorkshire who set a quit date through a stop smoking services, 9,994 successfully quit – a total of 63% (2).

As well as announcing more funding for stop smoking services, the government has also outlined a proposal to increase the legal age of using tobacco by one year every year, so that people born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to legally buy tobacco products or have them bought by others on their behalf in the UK. A Tobacco and Vapes Bill is due to be heard in Parliament during the coming weeks and could become law by 2027 (5).

Dr Griffiths added: “We urge the Government to discuss this bill in Parliament as soon as possible, to give it the best chance of becoming law before a General Election is called. This legislation, if passed, will gradually reduce the number of people who smoke. However, treating tobacco addiction and supporting people to stop smoking right now is also essential.

“With 90 people in Yorkshire diagnosed with a cancer caused by smoking and 60 people in the region losing their lives every week, we must not lose our focus on helping people quit for good. It’s never too late to stop smoking, and quitting remains the best thing a person can do for their future health.”

Stop smoking services provide free expert advice and support delivered by trained professionals. As well as offering one to one and group support, the services also provide advice on nicotine replacement therapies and stop smoking medicines.

Many services are now starting to offer free vaping kits through the government’s new Swap to Stop scheme. NHS data shows that 7 in 10 people in Yorkshire who use a vape as part of their quit attempt along with support from a local Stop Smoking Service successfully quit smoking (2).

Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding research and services across the region to both help people quit and find new ways to increase the number of people stop smoking, including working in hospitals to provide bedside support to patients who smoke. The charity pioneered the delivery of stop smoking support alongside lung health checks, providing evidence to help shape a new NHS lung screening programme announced last year.

For more information on local stop smoking services, visit Better Health. 

1. Fingertips. Smoking Profiles. 2023. Accessed: 06/03/2024. Available from: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/tobacco-control
2. NHS Digital. Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England. 2023. Accessed: 06/03/2024. Available from: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-nhs-stop-smoking-services-in-england
3. Department of Health and Social Care. Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation. 2023. Accessed: 06/03/2024. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stopping-the-start-our-new-plan-to-create-a-smokefree-generation/stopping-the-start-our-new-plan-to-create-a-smokefree-generation
4. UK Health Security Agency. Smoking attributable deaths in England: When the information changes. 2021. Accessed: 06/03/2024. Available from: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2021/07/06/smoking-attributable-deaths-in-england-when-the-information-changes/
5. Department for Health and Social Care. Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know. 2024. Accessed: 06/03/2024. Available from: https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/30/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping-what-you-need-to-know/