In 2019, the UK government set out a target to achieve ‘Smoke-free’ status by 2030.
But forecasts reveal that 97% of England will miss this target – with only two London boroughs on track to meet it.
Based on current Public Health England smoking prevalence and quit rates, England will be entirely smoke-free by 2051, which is 21 years later than the original government goal.
The extra 21 years will cost over £40.4 billion in local authority social care and NHS costs.
UK set to go smoke free by 2051
According to NHS data, there were over half a million smoking related hospital admissions in 2019/2020, which is 10% higher than it was a decade earlier.