Local authorities drive record expansion of stop smoking support across England

As the Government announces new funding allocations for councils, new data shows an unprecedented growth in local stop smoking support across England.[1] In the latest annual survey of local authorities from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), 90% of councils ranked tobacco control as a high or above-average priority, with 58% ranking it as a high priority – up from 54% in 2024 and 37% in 2023. The vast majority (86%) of councils have increased the number of advisers in response to growing demand for support.

This progress has been driven by enhanced national funding, which has now been guaranteed for the next 3 years. This investment is paying off. The number of people successfully quitting with local stop smoking services in England has risen by 34% since 2022/23, from 95,400 to 127,541. 

The findings reinforce the national momentum towards a smokefree future, coming as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill progresses through Parliament. The Bill will introduce a generational smoking ban and stronger regulation of tobacco and vaping products.[2]

Despite the expansion in council-run community stop smoking services, uncertainty around NHS funding for hospital-based stop smoking support is holding back efforts to help more people to quit. In August, health leaders highlighted the risk to these services from funding cuts, warning that losing them would “set the NHS prevention agenda back five years and result in tens of thousands of vulnerable patients being abandoned to a deadly addiction.”[3] ASH is urging the Government to protect funding for hospital-based stop smoking services so every smoker – whether in hospital or the community – can get the support they need to quit.

John Waldron, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at ASH, said:

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a landmark step towards ending the harm caused by smoking for future generations. But the Government must also ensure that the 5 million current smokers in the UK get the support they need to quit.

“This survey shows that local stop smoking services are rising to the challenge. They are reaching smokers in every community, tackling inequalities, and giving people the tools they need to quit for good.”

“Next year presents an unprecedented opportunity to support more people than ever before to quit smoking and join the smokefree generation. We urge the Government to seize it.”

Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture at Hackney Council said:

“Local stop smoking services are making a real difference in our communities. By reaching people where they are – from family hubs to workplaces – we’re helping thousands take the first step towards a healthier, smokefree future.

"We’re doing our bit to build a smokefree society, but we can’t do it alone. The Government should move swiftly to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ensure future generations are protected from lethal tobacco products.” 

Key Findings 

• High priority: Tobacco control was a high or above average priority in 90% of surveyed local authorities and a high priority in 58%, up from 54% in 2024 and 37% in 2023.
• Expanded services: All surveyed local authorities now commission or provide stop smoking services, with 86% increasing adviser capacity and many doubling their reach.
• Rising demand: 84% of local authorities report increased demand for stop smoking support, driven by outreach, targeted campaigns, and improved treatment options.
• Reaching marginalised groups: Services are operating in new settings – family hubs, workplaces, libraries, and even food banks – to reach disadvantaged and marginalised groups.
• Improved treatment choices: Provision of vapes is now almost universal (98%), alongside rising availability of medications such as varenicline and cytisine. 97% of local authorities participate in the Swap to Stop programme, offering free vapes and boosting quit rates among those least likely to access traditional support.

Notes to the Editor

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a health charity working to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco use. For more information, visit ash.org.uk. ASH receives funding for its program of work from Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

For interviews or more information, contact press@ash.org.uk

References

[1] ASH. Breaking new ground. Local authority stop smoking services and wider tobacco control in England, 2025. December 2025.

[2] The Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed Committee Stage in the House of Lords in November. The Bill will:

• Ban the sale of tobacco products to children born after 2008 to prevent future generations from becoming addicted to the most lethal consumer product in existence.
• Ban the advertising of vapes and other consumer nicotine products (such as nicotine pouches) and give the Government powers to regulate the packaging, display, and flavours of these products to reduce their appeal to children.
• Give the Government powers to introduce retail licensing and registration schemes for all tobacco and non-medicinal nicotine products.
• Give the Government powers to extend the ban on smoking in public places to some outdoor spaces and introduce vape-free areas. 

[3] ASH. Hospital Stop Smoking Service cuts ‘abandoning’ vulnerable patients to a deadly addiction, health leaders warn. August 2025.