Smoking ban triggered the biggest fall in smoking ever seen in England

Smokefree law in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years - according to new research being presented in Birmingham tomorrow (Tuesday).

The Smoking Toolkit Study - funded by Cancer Research UK, McNeil, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline and presented at the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference* - interviewed more than 32,000 people in England over the nine months before and nine months after last year's smokefree law took effect on July 1.

The decline in smoking prevalence for the nine months pre-July was 1.6 per cent compared to an impressive 5.5 per cent in the nine months post July. Based on the findings researchers estimate that at least 400,000 people quit smoking as a result of the ban. There was no difference by age, gender or social grade.

This is the first study in the world to examine in detail the impact on smoking rates solely from smokefree legislation without the influence of any other tobacco control measures.

Professor Robert West, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco studies at the Health Behaviour Research Centre based at University College London, who carried out the study, said: "These figures show the largest fall in the number of smokers on record. The effect has been as large in all social groups, poor as well as rich smokers. I never expected such a dramatic impact and of course there are no guarantees that smoking rates will not climb back up again. But if the Department of Health can keep up the momentum this has created, there is a realistic prospect of achieving a target of less than 15 per cent of the population smoking within the next 10 years."

Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said: "The smokefree law was introduced to protect the health of workers from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. These results show it has also encouraged smokers to quit. These laws are saving lives and we mustn't forget that half of all smokers die from tobacco related illness. We must do everything possible to continue this great public health success - we now need a national tobacco control plan for the next five years.

"The government consultation on the future of tobacco control runs from June until September. It provides an excellent opportunity to examine further steps we can take to reduce the devastating impact that tobacco has on the lives of many millions of people."

Notes:

*The UK National Smoking Cessation Conference is taking place in Birmingham at the Hilton Metropole. It is the world's largest gathering of stop smoking practitioners, policy makers and researchers. This is the leading forum for discussion of evidence based service delivery, and community innovations to help people stop smoking. For more information visit www.uknscc.org

Around 90 per cent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Smoking can also cause cancers of the following sites: upper aero-digestive tract (oral cavity, nasal cavity, nasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus), pancreas, stomach, liver, lower urinary tract (renal pelvis and bladder), kidney, uterine cervix and myeloid leukaemia.

Overall tobacco smoking is estimated to be responsible for approximately 30 per cent of cancer deaths or around 46,000 deaths in 2005 in the UK.

• Smoking status was assessed by the question: 'Which of the following best applies to you?' Response options were:
• I smoke cigarettes (including hand-rolled) every day
• I smoke cigarettes (including hand-rolled) but not every day
• I do not smoke cigarettes at all but I do smoke tobacco of some kind (e.g. pipe or cigar)
• I have stopped smoking completely in the last year
• I stopped smoking completely more than a year ago
• I have never been a smoker (i.e. smoked for a year or more)
• Don't Know.

The Smoking Toolkit Study is a monthly series of national household surveys with smokers and recent ex-smokers being followed up for six months. Data collection began in October 2006. The study is currently funded by Cancer Research UK, McNeil, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. The fieldwork is undertaken by the British Market Research Bureau (BRMB).

About Cancer Research UK

• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.
• Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.
• Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients.
• Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make.
• Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.
• For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit our homepage.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org