Smokers urged to join 'Stoptober' as quitting rate in England rises

Coronavirus pandemic has changed public attitudes to health, experts say

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The proportion of people who have successfully quit smoking this year is at its highest in more than a decade, new figures show.

Data from the UCL Smoking Toolkit Study shows that in England in 2020 there has been an increase of almost two-thirds in the quitting success rate, rising from 14% to 23%, the highest since at least 2007. There has also been a surge in smokers in England trying to quit, increasing by 22% from 2019, with experts saying attitudes have been changed by the coronavirus pandemic.