Smokefree Sheffield records nation-leading quit rates

Smokefree Sheffield has celebrated a crucial step towards the national target of reducing the number of adults who will be smoking in 2030 to just 5%.

This milestone places Sheffield fifth out of all local authorities in England for its stop-smoking success rates per 100,000 smokers from 2024/25 data.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health for Sheffield, said:

“Achieving a top-five ranking in England is a phenomenal moment for public health in our city. While we celebrate these numbers, our work to drive prevalence down to 5% continues. Increased funding has allowed us to offer advanced clinical treatments like varenicline, but we must stay proactive. This includes working closely alongside Trading Standards as they crack down on illegal retailers to keep our high streets safe from illicit tobacco.”

The achievement follows an expansion of tobacco control funding across Public Health, Trading Standards, and community stop-smoking services. This joined-up investment has modernised local support, moving away from brief, one-off awareness campaigns to focus on permanent, everyday services shaped directly by what local people say they need.

Key initiatives driving this success include vital behavioural insights research with the University of Sheffield, alongside the university’s major progress toward becoming a smoke-free campus. This builds on the successful smoke-free policy already established at Sheffield Hallam University.

At the same time, The Sheffield College is set to become smoke-free and vape-free from August 2026. This means that smoking and vaping will no longer be permitted anywhere on college campuses, including outside in the grounds.

Furthermore, tailored midwifery incentive schemes have delivered excellent results, successfully driving pregnancy smoking rates at the time of delivery down to below 6%.

Over the last few years, Sheffield’s collaborative model has systematically cleared milestones across enforcement, regional alliances, and community care:

Disrupting Illicit Supply: Trading Standards enforcement officers have actively disrupted illegal networks, seizing 692,000 illegal cigarettes and 157 kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco in 2025-26 and submitting multiple successful alcohol licence reviews for premises caught selling cheap, illicit tobacco, resulting in swift licence revocations.
Youth Safeguarding: The service has established a comprehensive approach to working with children and young people around smoking and vaping, deploying high-quality communication campaigns to prevent early-stage nicotine addiction.
Clinical Offerings: For current smokers, clinical pathways have expanded to offer prescription varenicline alongside free nicotine replacement therapies and vapes to support highly dependent individuals.

While structural changes protect the wider community, Smokefree Sheffield remains fully committed to supporting individuals currently struggling with tobacco addiction. We urge anyone in Sheffield who wants to improve their health to reach out and take advantage of our free, specialist, non-judgemental support.

To access support from Smokefree Sheffield, call: