New figures released to mark National No Smoking Day today (11 March) show that more than a million people in Great Britain quit smoking in 2025.
Analysis from University College London’s Smoking Toolkit Study found that, among people in Great Britain who smoked in the past year, 35% tried to stop, and of those, 29% quit successfully - equivalent to more than a million people.
Separate YouGov polling for charity 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.”
With the Tobacco & Vapes Bill now having passed its final stage in the House of Lords, the UK is on the cusp of introducing a landmark smoke free generation law that would phase out tobacco sales for good by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 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 in the UK still smoking, 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 and guaranteed access to free or low-cost quit aids such as nicotine replacement therapies and medications.
Hazel Cheeseman (left), chief executive of ASH, said: “History shows that big, high-profile policies create a real ripple effect. When smoke free 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 5.3m people still smoking to join the smoke free generation and take a step towards ending the harm caused by tobacco.”
Ian Walker, executive director of policy and information at Cancer Research UK, added: “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 & Vapes Bill progresses through parliament, a future free from the harms of tobacco is closer than ever.”
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