To help people quit, the Government has invested an additional £70 million in both 2024/25 and 2025/26 to support local authority led Stop Smoking Services in England. We are already seeing the impact this has made, as the first year of additional funding, 2024/25, resulted in a 23% increase in the number of people supported to quit compared to the previous year, 2023/24.

From April, we are investing an additional £260 million over three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in Stop Smoking Services within the Public Health Grant, meaning at least £150 million per year will be ringfenced for these services. This will give local authorities greater certainty on their funding for the next three years.

To help people quit, the Government has invested an additional £70 million in both 2024/25 and 2025/26 to support local authority led Stop Smoking Services in England. We are already seeing the impact this has made, as the first year of additional funding, 2024/25, resulted in a 23% increase in the number of people supported to quit compared to the previous year, 2023/24.

From April, we are investing an additional £260 million over three years, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, in Stop Smoking Services within the Public Health Grant, meaning at least £150 million per year will be ringfenced for these services. This will give local authorities greater certainty on their funding for the next three years.

The latest estimates for smoking-attributable mortality in England are for the period 2017 to 2019. The Smoking Profile, produced by the Department, reports 191,903 smoking-attributable deaths of people aged 35 years old and over in the period 2017 to 2019 in England, which is just under 64,000 deaths each year. Further information on the Smoking Profile is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/tobacco-control/data#page/1/gid/1938132887/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

The applicable methodologies for the National Health Service cost attributed to each of the risk factors outlined are explained in the following reports.

The estimated air pollution related costs to the NHS can be found in the Public Health England report ‘Estimation of costs to the NHS and social care due to the health impacts of air pollution: summary report’ , from 2018, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-a-tool-to-estimate-healthcare-costs

An estimate of the NHS and healthcare costs of alcohol from 2021/22, produced by the Institute of Alcohol Studies, can be found at the following link:

https://www.ias.org.uk/factsheet/economy/

Estimated obesity related costs to the NHS can be found in the Frontier Economics report for NESTA, published in July 2025, ‘The Economic and Productivity Costs of Obesity and Overweight in the UK’, which is available at the following link:

https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/The_economic_and_productivity_costs_of_obesity_and_overweight_in_the_UK_.pdf

Estimated Hypertension related costs to the NHS can be found in the Optimity Matrix Cost-effectiveness review of blood pressure interventions, ‘A Report to the Blood Pressure System Leadership Board’, published November 2014, available at the following link:

https://cleanair.london/app/uploads/vdocuments.site_cost-effectiveness-review-of-blood-pressure-cost-effectiveness-review-of-blood.pdf

The most recent estimated smoking related costs to the NHS can be found in the press release, ‘New figures show cost of smoking to society in England dwarfs tobacco tax revenue’. This is available at the following link:

https://ash.org.uk/media-centre/news/press-releases/new-figures-show-cost-of-smoking-to-society-in-england-dwarfs-tobacco-tax-revenue

We are not aware of clear evidence to show that a ban on filters would lead to reductions in smoking rates. We are confident the best way to protect people’s health is to reduce the prevalence of smoking. That is why we are taking decisive action through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to create a smoke-free generation alongside continuing with evidence-based approaches to supporting smokers to quit. We therefore have no current plans to ban cigarette filters.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill allows the Government to expand current indoor smoking restrictions to outdoor public places and workplaces via secondary legislation. The bill also gives the Government powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free. Exactly which settings should become smoke-free and vape-free will be subject to a full consultation. However, we are not considering extending smoke-free or vape-free places to outdoor hospitality settings, such as outside pubs, restaurants, and nightclubs.

The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.

The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.

Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.

Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.

To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.

Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.

The health advice is clear that whilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and adult non-smokers should never vape. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been carefully designed to get this balance right, ensuring we take definitive action to tackle youth vaping, whilst ensuring that vapes, alongside other forms of quit aids, remain accessible to adult smokers.

The Government has published a comprehensive impact assessment for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which includes the health benefits and the impact on people who vape currently. This assessment was reviewed in full by the Regulatory Policy Committee, which deemed it ‘fit for purpose’ in its published opinion on 5 November 2024.

Importantly, the bill introduces a progressive age of sale policy for tobacco, the smoke-free generation policy, and also includes policies that further restrict the sale and appeal of tobacco products. This will have a dissuasive effect on consumers considering tobacco products, which will mitigate any potential risks of people that vape returning to tobacco use.

Tobacco duty will also be increased alongside the upcoming vaping products duty to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking.

To support current smokers to quit, we are providing £70 million of additional funding into local stop smoking services and delivering Tobacco Dependency Treatment through National Health Service inpatient and maternity services. These services provide access to a range of medicines, nicotine replacement therapies, and vapes, alongside behavioural support. Vapes are a popular quit aid among adult smokers and we have commissioned guidance from the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training to maximise their use and ensure practitioners are trained to deliver the best advice.

Our national public health marketing campaigns, such as Stoptober and our annual campaigns, motivate adults to quit smoking. Public health messaging will continue to educate smokers about smoking quit aids and will support the promotion of vapes as a means for adult smokers to quit smoking, as outlined on the Better Health and NHS websites.

In preparation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations. The Government does not disclose whether it has sought or received legal advice.

In preparation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government has considered all its domestic and international obligations. The Government engages with the European Union and member states on a wide variety of issues, including matters relating to Northern Ireland. This engagement is confidential.

Measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen enforcement and will help to ensure the successful implementation of the smoke-free generation policy. Age of sale restrictions for tobacco products are already in place in Northern Ireland, with enforcement led by district councils. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland, through the Public Health Agency, funds tobacco control officers to conduct test purchases and support retailer compliance. These arrangements are expected to continue under the new legislative framework and will include additional products. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland is working closely with councils in preparation for implementation of the smoke-free generation policy on 1 January 2027.

The bill also gives ministers in Northern Ireland the ability to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. This will strengthen enforcement, support legitimate businesses, and crack down on rogue retailers who breach the law. Once implemented, this will replace the existing retailer register for tobacco products in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Assembly provided its legislative consent for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 10 February 2025.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Within their 2025/26 allocations, integrated care boards have access to funding to support the rollout of tobacco dependency treatment services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Where inpatients are identified as a smoker, including those in cancer-related services or undergoing cancer treatment, the expectation would be for them to receive an opt-out referral to talk to a specialist and subsequently make an informed decision about accessing treatment tailored to their needs.

Future funding decisions, including any decision to expand tobacco dependency treatment services across routine care, are subject to the Spending Review process.

The 10-Year Health Plan committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Within their 2025/26 allocations, integrated care boards have access to funding to support the rollout of tobacco dependency treatment services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Where inpatients are identified as a smoker, including those in cancer-related services or undergoing cancer treatment, the expectation would be for them to receive an opt-out referral to talk to a specialist and subsequently make an informed decision about accessing treatment tailored to their needs.

Future funding decisions, including any decision to expand tobacco dependency treatment services across routine care, are subject to the Spending Review process.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill sets a duty to consult on a range of powers before making regulations, including vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places. We plan to consult on these measures in due course, and we will provide stakeholders with notice of when consultation processes are due to happen.

We expect that enforcement of vaping and smoking provisions in relation to outdoor public places in England to be undertaken by the same local authority teams that enforce existing smoke-free legislation; these would typically be the environmental health teams. The exact details will be explored via future consultation processes.

As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, the Government remains committed to ensuring that all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. This is an important part of our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom. We assess that continued investment into National Health Service tobacco dependence services at a local level is important to realise this ambition. We note the risks highlighted in this report and we will continue to monitor investment of NHS tobacco dependence services.

Integrated care boards have access to funding to support the rollout of tobacco dependency treatment services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services, within their 2025/26 allocations. Future funding decisions, including any decision to expand tobacco dependency treatment services to additional settings beyond routine care, are subject to the Spending Review process.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we remain committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate smoking cessation interventions into routine care.

NHS England have already rolled out tobacco dependence treatment programmes in acute and mental health inpatient settings, and maternity services. As of March 2025, 93% of acute and mental health in-patient services and 97% of maternity services, nationally, had tobacco dependence treatment offers. In the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), 12 out of 13 in-patient services and all seven maternity services had an offer.

As part of their allocations for 2025/26, ICBs have access to funding to support the provision of tobacco dependency treatment to smokers. Funding for future years is subject to final decisions following the recent Spending Review.

The health advice is clear, that whilst vapes can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, children and non-smokers should never vape. The Swap to Stop scheme is a national smoking cessation programme through which the Department provides adult smokers access to free vape start kits alongside behavioural support to help them quit.

The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in Geneva in November 2025.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan for England, we are committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised and put new funding out to integrated care boards (ICBs), which includes Humber and Yorkshire ICB, South Yorkshire ICB and West Yorkshire ICB, for the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings, including acute and mental health inpatient settings and maternity services. Future funding decisions are subject to the Spending Review process.

We are fully committed to our ambition for a smoke-free United Kingdom. Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health, and our assessment of the evidence is that targeting people with smoking cessation support in in-patient, accident and emergency, and lung screening services can be successful.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we remain committed to ensuring all hospitals integrate smoking cessation interventions into routine care. We will also fully roll out lung cancer screening for those with a history of smoking, which we expect will detect 9,000 cancers earlier each year.

As of the end of 2024/25, 93% of National Health Service in-patient services and 97% of maternity services had a tobacco dependence treatment offer. Specifically in mental health services, there was a 41% quit rate amongst those setting a quit date in these settings.

Further to this, awards under our National Swap to Stop programme have been made to many NHS services, including mental health and accident and emergency. The programme offers smokers across England a free vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit smoking.

Smokefree 2030 was Government policy prior to and until the July 2024 General Election. The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help deliver our current ambition to create a smoke-free generation, gradually ending the sale of tobacco products across the country. Creating a smoke-free generation is expected to help reduce smoking rates of people aged between 14 and 30 years old to near zero by 2050.

To support current smokers, an additional £70 million is also being provided in 2025/26 to support local authority-led Stop Smoking Services in England, and the national Swap to Stop scheme, swapping cigarettes for vapes, and Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme are also continuing.