Over a Million Quit Smoking in 2025, as Health Charities Urge Smokers to Join the Smokefree Generation

New figures released to mark National No Smoking Day (11 March) shows that more than one million people in Great Britain quit smoking in 2025. 

Analysis from UCL’s Smoking Toolkit Study found that, among people in Great Britain who reported smoking in the past year, 35% tried to stop, and of those, 29% quit successfully[1] – equivalent to more than a million people across the country. 

Separate YouGov polling for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows the appetite to quit is already strong: 53% of smokers say they want to stop, including 22% who “REALLY want to stop”[2]. 

With the Tobacco and Vapes Bill having passed its final stage in the House of Lords, the UK is  now on the cusp of introducing a landmark smokefree generation law that would phase out tobacco sales for good by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1st January 2009. The Bill is not yet complete, however. It must still return to the Commons for consideration of amendments before it can be finalised and is then expected to become law by the end of April. 

However, with more than five million people in the UK still smoking[3], health charities say this landmark moment must be matched with practical, properly funded support to help smokers quit. 

They are urging Government to pair the Bill with a comprehensive national quit push, including: 

• A high-profile public health campaign
• Properly funded stop smoking services
• Guaranteed access to free or low-cost quit aids, such as nicotine replacement therapies and prescription medications
• Opt-out referrals via GPs, pharmacies and hospitals
• Targeted help for groups with the highest smoking rates, including people in routine and manual jobs, people with mental health needs, and pregnant women

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK, causing around 80,000 deaths each year[4] and harming nearly every organ of the body. The good news is that stopping smoking brings rapid and significant health benefits at any age. Evidence shows that success is much more likely when smokers have access to effective support: while many people need more than one attempt, using stop smoking services and effective quit aids can significantly increase the chances of quitting, with every supported attempt bringing smokers closer to stopping for good.

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

“History shows that big, high-profile policies create a real ripple effect. When smokefree laws banning smoking in public places were introduced in 2007, almost one in five people who tried to quit said the new law helped motivate them. Now we have the chance to do that again, inspiring the 5.3 million people still smoking to join the smokefree generation and take a step towards ending the harm caused by tobacco.”

Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said:

 “I want to thank the charities and health organisations whose tireless work helps people across the country stop smoking for good. More than a million people quitting in a single year is fantastic progress.

“Through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill we are taking bold action to create a smokefree generation and protect future ones from the harms of tobacco. Alongside this, record investment in Stop Smoking Services is supporting current smokers to quit.

“But we know there is more to do, with millions of people still smoking across the UK, so we will keep working with charities, the NHS and local partners to ensure everyone who wants to quit, can quit.”

Professor Sarah Jackson, University College London adds: 

“The smokefree generation policy is a vital step forward, but it will not on its own address the harm caused by smoking among the millions of people who already smoke. To prevent avoidable illness and premature deaths on a large scale, we must ensure that existing generations of smokers are supported to quit. Making effective treatments accessible, affordable, and proactively offered through healthcare services will be critical if we are to translate motivation into long-term success and reduce the massive burden of smoking-related disease.”

Ian Walker, executive director of policy and information at Cancer Research UK said:

“Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK and stopping completely is the best thing you can do for your health. As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill progresses through parliament, a future free from the harms of tobacco is closer than ever. 

 "Alongside this historic legislation, it's essential that stop smoking support continues to be sustainably funded to help millions of people in the UK who currently smoke. I urge the UK Government to help ensure everyone has access to the services and encouragement they need to help them quit smoking for good.”

Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said: 

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a historic moment for the health of the nation. Creating a smoke-free future will save millions of people from the harms caused by this deadly addiction. But it’s vital that existing smokers are not forgotten about and are given the support they need to quit.  

“You are three times more likely to successfully quit smoking if you have support, but access to smoking cessation services can be a postcode lottery and many areas desperately need additional funding. Alongside this groundbreaking legislation, a levy on tobacco companies to help expand stop smoking services should be an urgent priority for the Government. It is disappointing that this has not already been included as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, as the tobacco industry continues to make enormous profits from causing untold harm”. 

Notes to editors

• The Smoking Toolkit Study defines someone who smoked in the past year as anyone who smoked cigarettes or other combustible tobacco (e.g., cigars, pipes, or shisha) daily or non-daily in the past 12 months. This is distinct from the normal APS definition of a ‘current smoker’ because it explicitly includes both non-daily cigarette smoking and non-cigarette tobacco smoking. This classification of past-year smoking also includes people who have quit recently, in addition to current smokers.
• In the Smoking Toolkit Study, attempting to quit in the past year is assessed among past-year smokers with the question: ‘How many serious attempts to stop smoking have you made in the last 12 months? By serious attempt I mean you decided that you would try to make sure you never smoked again. Please include any attempt that you are currently making and please include any successful attempt made within the last year’.
• In the Smoking Toolkit Study, quit success is assessed among past-year smokers who report one or more past-year quit attempt with the question: ‘How long did your most recent serious quit attempt last before you went back to smoking?’. Those who respond that they are still not smoking in the question above are counted as successful quitters. This is distinct from the normal APS or OPN definition of an ‘ex-smoker’, which don’t refer to quit attempts, only to smoking status (current, ex-, or never).