Tobacco Control Strategy 2024 to 2029

Smoking is the largest cause of preventable illness and early death and approximately 64,000 people are killed by smoking each year17. In 2019/20, smoking contributed to an estimated 506,100 hospital admissions in England17. For every smoker who dies, 30 others suffer severe smoking related diseases, requiring social care 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

Clear evidence links smoking to over 50 serious health conditions, including fatal and long-term irreversible damage. It damages lungs, leading to conditions like COPD and pneumonia, causes 70% of lung cancers, elevates the risk of various cancers, and harms the heart, increasing the likelihood of coronary heart disease and stroke. Smoking exacerbates respiratory conditions and infections. Additionally, research shows that smoking tobacco is harmful to our brain health including conditions like dementia, as smoking speeds up the decline of our brains.

Beyond the health impacts, smoking incurs a societal cost of approximately £17.3 billion annually in England, surpassing the £10 billion generated from tobacco duties. Treating smoking-related diseases costs the NHS £2.6 billion yearly. Over the past decade, tobacco prices have doubled, leading some to turn to cheaper illegal alternatives. Helping the most disadvantaged smokers to quit will return thousands of pounds to family budgets.