Local tobacco control profiles for England: statistical commentary, September 2023 update
Published 5 September 2023
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2023
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-tobacco-control-profiles-september-2023-update/local-tobacco-control-profiles-for-england-statistical-commentary-september-2023-update
Introduction
The smoking prevalence figures included in this update for 2022 are from the Annual Population Survey (APS). The APS is the most widely used survey for estimating smoking prevalence in England due to its large sample size and frequency (around 175,000 people in England per year). The APS is designated as a National Statistic and has provided a consistent time series of data for smoking prevalence.
What’s new
New smoking prevalence data has been added to the Local Tobacco Control Profiles on the fingertips platform. The following indicators have been updated and are available at local authority level, integrated care board level, as well as for England, the regions, and various inequality groups:
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) current smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) ex-smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence in adults (18+) never smokers (APS)
- smoking prevalence among adults aged 18 to 64 in routine and manual occupations (APS)
- odds of reporting current smoking status among adults aged 18 to 64 with a routine and manual occupation (APS)
Main findings
The adult (18+) current smoking prevalence figure for 2022 in England was 12.7%. In 2022, 14.5% of men smoked compared to 10.9% of women in England; this pattern has been consistent since 2011.
The prevalence of current smokers was highest in the East Midlands (14.0%) and lowest in the South East region (11.5%).
The prevalence of current smokers in the routine and manual occupation group (18 to 64) for 2022 was 22.5%. The odds of being a current smoker in the routine and manual group is 2.24 times higher than the odds of being in a current smoker in other occupational groups. This has not changed significantly since 2011.
Key definitions used in this release
Odds ratio - a measure of association between an exposure and an event. The odds ratio represents the odds that an event will occur given a particular exposure, compared to the odds of the event occurring in the absence of that exposure.
Summary of updated indictors
Smoking prevalence (APS)
The adult (18+) current smoking prevalence figure for 2022 in England was 12.7%. This is a reduction from 13.0% in 2021 and continues the general downward trend observed since 2011 (19.8%). In 2022, 14.5% of men smoked compared with 10.9% of women in England; this pattern has been consistent since 2011. The prevalence of ex-smoking among adults (18+) in 2022 was (25.2%) and of those who have never smoked was (62.1%).
Figure 1: Prevalence of current smokers (18+), England, 2011 to 2022
Source: Annual Population Survey
The prevalence of current smokers in 2022 was highest in the East Midlands (14.0%) and lowest in the South East region (11.5%). The prevalence of current smokers at district and unitary local authority level varied from 25.1% in Mid Devon to 2.9% in Stafford. The prevalence of current smokers at integrated care board (ICB) level varied from 16.0% in NHS Lincolnshire ICB to 9.6% in NHS Dorset ICB.
The prevalence of current smokers in 2022 was highest in the most deprived district and unitary authority decile (16.2%) and lowest in the third least deprived decile (9.7%). There is no statistically significant difference between the most deprived, second most deprived, and third most deprived deciles.
The prevalence of current smokers in the routine and manual occupation group (18 to 64) in 2022 was 22.5% which compares with 12.7% across the general population. The odds of being a current smoker in the routine and manual group is 2.24 times higher than the odds of being in a current smoker in other occupational groups. This has not changed significantly since 2011.
Figure 2: Odds of current smoking (self-reported) among adults aged 18 to 64 with a routine and manual occupation (18 to 64), England, 2011 to 2022
Source: Annual Population Survey
Background and further information
The Local Tobacco Control Profiles for England provides a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations. They will inform commissioning and planning decisions to tackle tobacco use and improve the health of local communities.
The tool allows you to compare your local authority against other local authorities in the region and benchmark your local authority against the England or regional average.
View the Local Tobacco Control Profiles
Responsible statistician, product lead: Mark Cook