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Continuing Success of NHS Services to Help Smokers Quit

  • Published date:
    24 July 2003

Nearly 124,000 smokers kicked the habit last year after receiving help from NHS Stop Smoking Services in the last year. Figures released today show that of the 234,400 smokers in England who set a quit date between April 2002 and March 2003 over half said they had successfully given up 4 weeks later.

The figures released today show that the services, set up as part of the Government's strategy to tackle the huge toll of disease and death caused by smoking, have been highly successful at helping smokers to give up. The figures reveal that around 123,900 smokers successfully quit, compared to the target of 100,000.

Seven out of ten smokers say they want to give up. They now have access to a range of services on the NHS including a national telephone helpline (0800 169 0 169), Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Zyban on prescription, one-to-one counselling and advice and group support. Specialist services are also available to help pregnant women stop smoking. Smokers who want help to give up can access NHS services either through their local surgery or the NHS Smoking Helpline.

The Government spent over £53 million on NHS Stop Smoking Services up to March 2002. In 2002/03 a further £23 million was invested in services plus a substantial amount for smoking cessation aids available on NHS prescription.

Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson said:

In the last year over 234,000 smokers set a date to quit with the help of NHS services. Nearly 124,000 were successful four weeks later, far exceeding our target of 100,000. These results indicate the continued good progress of being made by NHS Stop Smoking Services and builds on the excellent results achieved last year. Further expansion of the services will be supported by extra investment of £138 million to Primary Care Trusts over the next 3 years.

We also want to increase the public's awareness of the real health risks from second-hand smoke: not merely the discomfort caused by being in a smoky atmosphere. Earlier this month we launched the UK's first ever television campaign to raise awareness of the health risks from second-hand smoke. The hard-hitting advert focuses on the risk to children and reminds people to protect children by not making them breathe cigarette smoke.

"As these results show the NHS Stop Smoking Services are giving smokers a head start in giving up. The NHS message to those 70% of smokers who want to give up is to get in touch with your local service to see what help they can offer. You can do this by contacting your local surgery or ringing the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169."

Notes to Editors

  1. The Statistical Press Release, 'Statistics on Stop Smoking Services in the Health Authorities in England, April 2002 to March 2003', was published today. These figures show that the number of quitters at the 4 week follow-up (based on self-report) increased from 119,800 in 2001/02 to 123,881 in 2002/03. It is available from the Department of Health Press Office and the Department of Health's web site.
  2. The White Paper Smoking Kills (December 1998) announced an initiative to set up Stop Smoking Services in the NHS. £10m was invested in Health Action Zones only in the first year, 1999/2000. In 2000/01 £20m was allocated to all HAs to provide services across England. From 2001/02 £20m has been invested in the services in each year. In 2001/02 and 2002/03 £6m was allocated for a smoking in pregnancy initiative.
  3. A 2002/03 target was set for the services of 100,000 smokers quitting (four weeks after their quit date). All studies in this area show that, due to the addictive nature of nicotine, a significant proportion of smokers who succeed in quitting in the short-term will relapse to smoking. However, the delivery of services including motivational support has been shown to increase the number who remain abstinent in the long-term. NHS Stop Smoking Services have been assessed as providing excellent value for money, even accounting for relapse, in comparison with other medical interventions with the cost per smoker who quits at 4 weeks being around £200 (excluding the cost of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) bupropion (Zyban).This was endorsed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of smoking cessation aids bupropion (Zyban) and NRT issued in April 2002.
  4. Last year, 2002/03, the Government invested a further £23m into the services plus a substantial amount for smoking cessation aids to be made available on NHS prescription.
  5. The NHS Smoking helpline (0800 169 0 169) gives help and advice to smokers to quit, and can offer information on and where to access their local NHS cessation services. The telephone number for the NHS pregnancy smoking helpline is 0800 169 9 169.
  6. Giving up smoking is the single best thing anyone can do for their health. Smoking causes 120,000 deaths in the UK each year and treating smoking related diseases costs the NHS about £1.7 billion a year. By helping people give up smoking we can prevent serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease and help to save thousands of lives each year.
  • Contact:
    Press officer
  • Address:
    Media Centre, Department of Health
    Richmond House, 79 Whitehall
    London
    SW1A 2NL
  • Phone:
    Media Centre
    020 7210 5221

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