Smoking
Smoking is the leading cause of avoidable ill health (including cancer, heart and lung disease) and results in early death.
Smoking during pregnancy can also cause harm to the unborn child, increasing the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and low birthweight.
The Government’s Tobacco Control Plan (2017-2022) aims to drive down smoking to no more than 5 percent of the population by 2030 to reduce the harm and premature deaths caused by smoking.
The government’s 2023 policy paper Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation outlines clear ambition to tackle both smoking and youth vaping through a range of measures including a 5 year committed funding to enhance local smoking cessation services and a series of legislations contained in a new Tobacco and Vapes bill proceeding through parliament.
Legislations proposed include prohibiting children born on or after 1 January 2009 from legally buying cigarettes, restricting vape flavours and regulating vape packaging.
Sale of disposable vapes, which was extensively marketed to young people and littered the environment, has been successfully banned in 2025.
Local services
Free local quit smoking support is available. Residents should click here and put in their postcode to access the free advanced stop smoking support service.
Reducing tobacco harm is an essential area of Public Health
- Nationally, smoking is linked to over 500,000 hospital admissions each year, with an estimated 74,600 deaths caused by smoking in England in 2019 (NHS Digital).
- There are also wider impacts of smoking to the environment, the individual and to the society including through working days lost due to sickness, through NHS treatment costs for smoking related illnesses and the costs of damage and injury arising from cigarettes fires.
- Smoking is a large contributor to health inequalities. The harm caused is not evenly distributed. Men, those experiencing mental ill health, those with drug or alcohol addiction, or in routine and manual work are more likely to smoke, as well as people living in more disadvantaged areas.
Reducing tobacco harm is an area of Public Health focus in Havering
Key facts
- Between 2021 to 2023, an average of 12.4 percent of Havering adults (roughly 25,500 residents) smoked. This is similar to England’s average but higher than in London (11.6 percent).
- Smoking is more common in some groups in Havering, with higher levels amongst men, people in rented or social housing, those with severe mental illnesses, those with a drug/alcohol addiction, and those working in physical jobs.
- 1,452 hospital admissions in Havering were due to smoking in 2019 to 2022, with 353 deaths from lung cancer and 342 deaths from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to smoking from 2020 to 2022.
- Smoking costs Havering £256 million per year. Income from cigarettes and hand rolled tobacco tax is much lower, at about £40.6 million per year.
What we do in Havering
Havering has a five-year Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy (2024-2029) setting out its commitment to reduce both tobacco harm and vape harm among young people.
There is also an action plan focused on groups with high smoking levels.
We have invested in a range of measures including new services, awareness campaigns, training and work with key partners such as schools and Trading Standards to help increase awareness of smoking and also vaping harm amongst young people whilst reducing sale of these products to under aged young people.
Since 2023, a range of local services supporting specific groups to quit or reduce smoking have been established.
Key initiatives
- Community Pharmacy Stop Smoking Service. A number of local pharmacies provide free support to residents to stop smoking using a range of interventions including nicotine replacement products and Varenicline medication with Havering being the first borough in North East London to offer Varenicline. Expansion of this service is underway in 2026 to enable more residents across the borough to access stop smoking support.
- The Smokefree app and Stop Smoking London Helpline offers free advanced online support or telephone support for Havering residents. The Smokefree app offer includes 24 hour access to an advisor and a 12 week supply of nicotine replacement products or vape delivered directly to the customer. You should go to the smokefree app and put in your postcode to access the free advanced support service.
- Specialist Stop Smoking Service. This service is changing to an integrated service to expand support to priority groups including those with serious mental Illnesses, those experiencing substance misuse and to the wider public. This service, with its hybrid offer of both face to face and virtual support, will have extensive outreach into the comunnity,and is expected to be in place by end of the year.
- In addition to increased local service provision, we have invested in yearly extensive campaigns raising awareness of tobacco harm, trained health and social care professionals on very brief advice (VBA), and worked with Trading standards and other partners including educational establishments on reducing tobacco harm, providing resources for lessons and assemblies.
How you can make a change
Members of the public can:
- consider making a quit attempt if you smoke by using the free support services. We know it’s hard to quit, but you can get there with the right support.
- encourage family, friends and colleagues to consider quitting smoking for health, mental health, family and financial benefits.
- spread the word that there are free stop smoking support services available to Havering residents aged 12 and above.
Professionals working in the area can:
- encourage those smoking to quit, reminding them of the health benefits to themselves, their loved ones and the importance of creating a smokefree environment.
- actively signpost people to the appropriate stop smoking services
- improve your skills by undertaking Very Brief Advice training (free online) to confidently have short conversations with clients/residents about smoking and signpost or refer to relevant services.
Organisations and businesses can:
- promote smokefree environments through no smoking policies.
- promote local stop smoking support services by displaying information.
- support staff to quit smoking by signposting to services.
- participate in national consultation around the Tobacco and Vapes bill.