Decline in cigarette smoking has stalled, study finds
Stock of cigarette smoking
A decline in the number of cigarettes being smoked per day has stalled, with some people smoking more, a study has revealed.
Researchers at University College London found that the average person who smokes dropped from smoking 14 cigarettes per day in January 2008 to 11 cigarettes per day in October 2019 – but there has been “virtually no change” in consumption since.
People who smoke daily consumed an extra cigarette per day in 2023 compared with the year before, the study found.
Overall, there are still 45.5 million cigarettes smoked every day in England, down from 77.1 million per day in 2011.
Smoking causes about 15 different types of cancer as well as heart disease, according to Cancer Research UK.
The figures come despite Government interventions to reduce smoking as part of its target to make England a smoke-free country by 2030. Cancer Research UK analysis suggests the target will not be met, with the poorest areas of the country unlikely to be smokefree until after 2050.
In October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak introduced legislation that will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1 2009.
For the study, researchers analysed data from 57,778 adult smokers who took part in a monthly survey between January 2008 and September 2023.
It found that the average smoker is consuming 35 per cent more hand-rolled cigarettes and 47 per cent fewer manufactured cigarettes.
Researchers said this was likely due to the affordability of hand-rolled tobacco following greater tax increases on cigarette manufacturers.
The study also revealed that older people, men, people from deprived backgrounds, and people in the north of England tended to smoke more heavily.
Dr. Sarah Jackson, lead author of the paper and principal research fellow at UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said: “People are increasingly opting to use cheaper hand-rolled tobacco over more expensive manufactured cigarettes, proving that consistency in the taxation and regulation across all cigarette types is key.
“Some groups across England still smoke more heavily than others. It’s vital that smoking cessation services are made easily and equally available across the UK, so that those who want to quit smoking are given all the support they need to do so.”
Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy, said: “By voting in favor of the age of sale legislation, MPs have positioned the U.K. as a world leader in tobacco control. Now, it’s vital that MPs continue to listen to the demands of their constituents and place themselves on the right side of history. The Bill must be passed through Parliament swiftly and implemented so we can begin to reap the benefits of a smokefree future.”
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