Our policy on a Tobacco-Free UK
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Get in touch with our policy team to find out more information about our work and our policies.
The #QuitforCovid campaign launched in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. COVID-19 is a new illness caused by a virus that can affect people’s lungs and airways. Symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath. There are some groups of people who may be more at risk of serious illness if they catch coronavirus, including older people, people with long term health conditions and people who are immunosuppressed. Emerging evidence suggests people who smoke are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
If you or someone you know wants to stop smoking, there are a range of tools available to support you. Visit the NHS Smokefree website to find out more.
Cancer Research UK has bold ambitions beating cancer sooner. We also have bold ambitions ending death and disease caused by tobacco.
We believe that setting an ambition for achieving a Tobacco-Free UK, where less than 5% of the adult population smoke across all socio-economic groups, is in line with the UK’s international commitment to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
By inspiring government and society to imagine all that is to be gained from an end to the tobacco epidemic, we are committed to develop the policies and investment to speed progress and save thousands of lives.
In July 2019, the Government published a ‘green paper’ which set out the bold target to make England smokefree by 2030.
Each devolved nation has its own government that handles public health and have their own plans for reducing smoking rates. In 2013 the Scottish Government committed to a tobacco-free generation by 2034. Only Wales and Northern Ireland have shorter term targets for reducing smoking rates.
Related documents
Consensus statement on health disparities (July 2022)
Cancer Research UK Briefing on the Health Disparities White Paper (May 2022)
Briefing: Smokefree 2030 in England (April 2022)
Reaching Out: Tobacco control and stop smoking services in local authorities in England (January 2022)
Briefing: Tobacco and Health Inequalities (October 2021)
A changing landscape: Stop smoking services and tobacco control in England (March 2019)
Briefing: Sustainable Public Health funding for Local Government (January 2019)
Feeling the heat: The decline of stop smoking services in England
Economic Case for Local Investment in Tobacco Control
FAQ: Tobacco Industry Levy (August 2015)
The Impact of Tobacco Use on Health Inequalities (December 2014)
Tobacco Key Facts (October 2014)
Tobacco Control Endgames: Global initiatives and implications for the UK (July 2014) – full report
See also
NHS Local stop smoking services
Setting the Standard for plain cigarette packaging
Cuts to public health funding are crippling Stop Smoking Services (November 2016)
From today, cigarette packs will never look the same again (May 2016)
No Smoking Day: why tobacco (still) isn't a 'done deal' (March 2016)
How public health cuts could leave Stop Smoking Services under threat (January 2016)
Smoking Still Kills - that's why we're committed to a strategy to tackle tobacco (June 2015)