The latest NHS England data confirm the continuous success of local smoking withdrawal services in improving smokers’ smoking withdrawal. Since their launch 25 years ago, these services commissioned by local councils have helped more than 10 million people in their smoking process and more than 5 million have managed to quit smoking for at least four weeks, a predictive duration of 5 times more likely to stop permanently. In general, smokers who use these local smoking weaning assistance services are up to three times more likely to succeed in quitting smoking than those who try to stop without help[1].
An increase in smoking stop thanks to local services
In 2024-2025, around 128,000 people arrested smoking with the help of local smoking services in England, compared to 104,000 in 2023-2024, an increase of 23 %. These figures were published on the occasion of the 25e Anniversary of the creation of these services, emphasizing their central role in supporting smokers towards the judgment.
Since their implementation 25 years ago, these services have allowed millions of people to quit smoking, thus helping to reduce cases of stroke, cancer, heart attacks, respiratory diseases and premature deaths.
In 2024-2025, around 238,000 people tried to quit smoking with the help of these services, an increase of 40,000 compared to the previous year, making it the years with the greatest number of dates set for smoking cessation and the largest number of people who have actually arrested smoking since 2017-2018. Among the 335,000 people oriented towards these services, 71 % actually initiated an attempt to stop.
Manual and routine professions are the most represented, with 21.7 % of attempts to stop (around 52,000 people).
They have been followed by people who have never worked or unemployed for more than a year, which represent 35,402 cases (14.9 % of all attempts to stop), then retirees who represent 35,036 cases (14.7 % of all attempts to stop), then sick or disabled persons and in the incapacity to resume work represent 31,566 cases (13.3 % of all attempts to stop).
It thus seems that people in a precarious situation or far from the labor market are the most represented among smokers who want to stop.
In addition, the number of women having attempted to quit smoking (171,734) is greater than that of men (151,370), the greatest number of attempts to stop smoking comes from the age group of 45-59 year olds (34.7 % of all attempts), and among those who set a date to quit smoking in 2024-25, 192,597 (80.9 %) are Caucasians The most represented ethnicity is that of Asians or British of Asian origin, with 13,521 people (5.7 %) having set a date to quit smoking.
Health specialists call to maintain efforts by 2030
John Waldron, head of public action policies on Smoking and Health, stressed the importance of these results: “ It is encouraging to see more people access local smoking arrest services and succeed in withdrawal. Patients in these services are three times more likely to stop than those who try alone. These results show what can be done through sustainable investment and quality support. At a time when the 25 years of these services are celebrated, it is essential to continue this commitment to help ever more smokers to stop permanently. ».
Speaking about the publication of statistics from the NHS England, David Fothergill, Chairman of the Committee for Community Well-Being of the Association of Local Communities, “said:” Local communities have shown the way in the fight against the misdeeds of smoking, and these latest statistics have been testifying to the success, for 25 years, of smoking weaning assistance services, which have allowed a constant drop in smoking rate. […] We know that smoking is one of the main causes of avoidable diseases, disability and death in adults in England. It exerts additional pressure on our health and care systems and affects the quality of life of local populations, both smokers and non-smokers. […] The public health teams of municipal councils continue to work hard in their communities to help smokers quit smoking and support the collective ambition of a tobacco-free generation by 2030. There is no doubt that this measure has saved countless lives, while reducing the costs of the NHS and social services. […] The increase in the number of people who use these services is a positive sign which shows that more people manifest themselves to obtain aid, recognizing the value of local support and specialized in their approach to quit smoking. »[2].
For its part, the cancer Research UK (Cruk) estimated in November 2024 that a tobacco -free generation would not be possible before 2039, the remaining smoking among precarious populations with 21.4 % of English manual workers declaring themselves smokers, and called for more targeted measures on these populations.
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[1]ASH, New Figures Show Record Increase in People quitting with Local Stop Smoking Services, published on July 24, 2025, accessed July 25, 2025
[2]Local.gov.uk, Stop Smoking Services – A Public Health Success, published on July 24, 2025, accessed July 25, 2025
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