Smoking

Smoking continues to present a major public health challenge in England. It is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death, responsible for around 74,600 deaths in 2019. Despite a continued decline in smoking prevalence, 11.6% of adults in England still smoke, equating to over 6 million people. Smoking is also one of the key drivers of health inequalities, and the leading cause of cancer in the UK.  

The economic toll of smoking is experienced by the NHS, local authorities, and wider society. Tobacco control is recognised as a priority internationally, nationally, and locally. There have been significant developments in national tobacco control policy and legislation over recent decades. Internationally, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was adopted in 2003 and was the first international public health treaty.  

In 2019, the government set an objective for England to become smokefree by 2030, meaning only 5% of the population would smoke. The Khan review found that without further action, England will miss the smokefree 2030 target by at least 7 years, and the poorest areas in society will not meet it until 2044. To hit the smokefree 2030 target, we need to accelerate the rate of decline of smoking by 40%.  

It is important to focus on smoking as a topic area as it is the largest cause of preventable ill health and premature mortality in the UK. Smoking is a major risk factor for many diseases, such as: 

• lung cancer
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• heart disease