Success Rates of Stop Smoking Services in England

One way they do this is by providing Stop Smoking Services for local people who want to quit smoking.
These services provide free expert advice, guidance, and support to help smokers quit.

Many of these services have had success in encouraging smokers to quit by switching to alternative nicotine products such as vapes or nicotine patches.

2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of this vitally important service in England. Stop-smoking services have played an important role in the decline in UK smoking rates, with adult smoking prevalence in England reducing from 26 per cent in 2000 to under 13 per cent in 2024. 

At Haypp we want to recognise and support the important work local authorities do to help create a smoke-free future for the UK.

Using data from the NHS on the performance of local stop-smoking services, we have created an interactive map to identify the local authorities in England that have had the greatest success in the fight against smoking.

This interactive map shows how local authorities are performing against a range of stop-smoking metrics.
For example, you can see which authorities have been most successful at helping smokers quit, which areas have invested the most in stop-smoking services, and which quit-smoking aids have been most effective.

The performance of stop-smoking services has grown even more important in the context of new research from University College London that shows that after twenty years of decline, smoking rates are on the rise again in some areas of England. 
The data used in this interactive map is updated regularly to give an up-to-date picture of the successes of stop smoking services in England.

The data currently being displayed is the full-year data from April 2024 to March 2025.

The average success rate across all stop-smoking services in England is 54%, but some services achieve considerably higher success rates. Between April 2024 and May 2025, Wakefield had the highest success rate at 77%.

1. Wakefield (77%)
2. North East Lincolnshire (76%)
3. Wokingham (76%)
4. Redcar and Cleveland (74%)
5. Warrington (74%)

Nicotine-containing vapes continue to have high rates of success when compared with other stop-smoking aids.

1. NRT and nicotine vapes at the same time (61%)
2. Varenicline only (58%)
3. Nicotine vapes only (56%)
4. Single NRT only (56%)
5. Other stop smoking aid (55%)
6. Communication of license NRTs concurrently (54%)
7. Cytisine only (54%)
8. Bupropion only (52%)
9. Other NRTs e.g. non-tobacco nicotine pouches (52%)
10. Did not use any licensed medication or unlicensed NRT (39%)
11. Treatment option not recorded (36%)

There are many reasons why it may be more difficult for a pregnant smoker to quit. There may be additional psychological and social stresses on women during pregnancy. Women may also be hesitant to use nicotine replacement therapies, preferring instead to try to go cold turkey, which can be even more challenging. 

According to the NHS, 2024 saw the biggest annual fall in smoking during pregnancy since records began, so progress is being made. Incentives such as voucher schemes have also been shown to be effective in helping women to stop smoking during pregnancy. The NHS provides specialised support and interventions for pregnant smokers. Clear and impartial information about nicotine replacement therapies, including vapes, would help women to make informed decisions about how NRTs could help them kick the habit for good.