Smoke-free UK? 45m cigarettes puffed every day

Key target will be missed says Cancer Research, as more switch to rollies

A DECLINE in the number of cigarettes being smoked each day has stalled with some people puffing more, a study revealed today.

Researchers at University College London found that the average person who smokes dropped from 14 cigarettes per day in January 2008 to 11 cigarettes in October 2019 — but there has been “virtually no change” in consumption since. People who smoke daily puffed an extra cigarette per day in 2023 compared with the year before.

Overall, there are still 45.5 million cigarettes smoked every day in England, down from 77.1 million in 2011. Smoking causes about 15 different types of cancer as well as heart disease, according to Cancer Research UK.

The figures came despite government interventions to reduce smoking as part of its target to make England a smokefree country by 2030.

Cancer Research UK analysis suggests the target will not be met, with the poorest areas of the country unlikely to be smoke free until after 2050.

In October, 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. They found that the average smoker is now consuming 35 per cent more hand-rolled cigarettes and 47 per cent fewer manufactured cigarettes compared with January 2008.

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, those from deprived backgrounds and people in the North of England 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.

“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 favour of the age of sale legislation, MPs have positioned the UK as a world leader in tobacco control.”