Over 140 health leaders call for national action as report warns 1.5 million people with depression and anxiety who smoke risk being left behind

Calls for national action as report warns that a over a million people with depression and anxiety are being left without the support they need to quit smoking.

Mental health and public health leaders have called on the Government to publish a national roadmap to a smokefree country that prioritises people with common mental health conditions, as a new report warns that 1.5 million people with depression and anxiety who smoke are at risk of being left behind.

The report, published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership, highlights major and persistent inequalities in smoking among people with poor mental health, with smoking rates up to four times higher than in the general population. As a result, people with mental health conditions experience worse health and die up to 25 years younger.

The report finds that:

• An estimated 1.5 million people in Britain with depression and anxiety smoke
• Smoking rates among people with mental health conditions remain significantly higher than the general population
• Promising examples of local innovation are being held back by the lack of a national strategy or targets for reducing smoking among people with poor mental health
• National NHS data on smoking among people with depression and anxiety has not been published since 2017

Alongside the report, over 140 professionals and senior leaders from across mental health, public health and tobacco control, have written an open letter to Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson MP urging the Government to take stronger national action to tackle smoking-related inequalities. The signatories include leaders from charities and medical royal colleges, senior clinicians, academic experts and other health professionals.

They warn that while smoking rates have fallen across the general population, progress among people with mental health conditions has stalled, driven by a postcode lottery in access to support, a lack of national targets, and outdated prevalence data.

In the open letter, signatories state that people with mental health conditions are “at risk of being left behind” in England’s smokefree ambitions. They urge the government to publish a roadmap to a smokefree country, including a plan to address high rates of smoking among people with mental health conditions, backed by measurable targets and accountability.

The report also calls on the Government to: 

• Develop a national toolkit for supporting people with mental health conditions to quit smoking.
• Fund wider roll-out of smoking cessation support in NHS Talking Therapies for people experiencing common mental health problems.
• Fund a financial incentive scheme to boost quit attempts among people with poor mental health.
• Reinstate NHS data collection on smoking among people with common mental health conditions through the GP Patient Survey.
• Maintain all current funding for local stop smoking services.

The authors of the report welcome the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Act and increased investment in stop smoking services but call for a bold new strategy backed up by targeted action to ensure that everyone can benefit from a smokefree future.

Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said:

“Smoking is one of the biggest drivers of poor physical health for those with poor mental health. With 1.5 million people who smoke also suffering from depression and anxiety we need far more dedicated support for this group. While there are inspiring examples of local innovation across the country, progress cannot be left to isolated pockets of good practice. The Government now has a crucial opportunity to build on recent investment and set out a clear roadmap to a smokefree nation – one that ensures no one is left behind.”

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation and co-chair of the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership, said:

“People with mental health conditions continue to experience some of the starkest health inequalities in society, and smoking is a major contributor to this injustice. While smoking rates have fallen across the population, too many people with poor mental health are at risk of being left behind.

“Change is possible, but it requires clear national leadership. The Government urgently needs to publish a roadmap to a smokefree country setting out how the one in three smokers with a mental health condition will be supported to quit.”

Dr Ed Beveridge, Presidential Lead for Physical Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and co-chair of the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership, said:

“Smoking remains one of the biggest and most overlooked drivers of poor physical health among people with mental health conditions. Too often, smoking is still seen as separate from mental healthcare, despite the profound impact it has on both physical and mental wellbeing.

“We know that people with mental health conditions are just as motivated to quit as anyone else, and that stopping smoking can improve anxiety, depression and quality of life. But access to support remains inconsistent, with too many people falling through the cracks. A national strategy is needed to tackle this inequality and ensure everyone can access the support they need to quit.”

Hannah Moore, a Rethink expert by experience who has personal experience of quitting smoking as a mental health service user, said:

“People with poor mental health want to quit smoking too, but support is not always easy to access or designed around their needs. Tailored support that understands mental health, offers flexibility, and meets people where they are should not depend on where someone lives. The Government must act to end this postcode lottery and make sure everyone can access the support they need to quit.”

ENDS.

Notes to Editors:

About the report: Falling through the cracks: Closing the gap in stop smoking support for people with common mental health conditions is published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership. 

About the open letter: The open letter to Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson MP has been signed by over 140 professionals and senior leaders in mental health, public health and tobacco control. 

About Action on Smoking and Health (ASH): ASH is a public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco. ASH receives funding from Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation: www.ash.org.uk

About the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership: The Mental Health and Smoking Partnership is a coalition of organisations working to reduce the disproportionate impact of smoking on people with mental health conditions. The Partnership is jointly chaired by Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, and Dr Ed Beveridge, Presidential Lead for Physical Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.