Smokers in England are being urged to make a quit attempt today to mark No Smoking Day.

Leading charities, including Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Cancer Research UK and Asthma + Lung UK, are joining forces with the government to encourage the nation’s 5.3 million smokers to make a quit attempt today.  

The campaign comes as part of the government’s plans in the form of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to bring about the first smoke-free generation and introduce legislation so children turning fifteen this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco.  

Andrea Leadsom, public health minister, called smoking "the biggest preventable killer in the UK."

She said: "Cigarettes are responsible for 64,000 deaths a year in England - no other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users."  

In 2022-23 there were over 400,000 hospital admissions in England due to smoking.

Chief medical officer for England, professor Chris Whitty, said that cigarettes cause at least 15 different types of cancer and increase the user's risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions.

He said: "Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health - no matter your age or how long you have smoked."

As part of the government’s Swap to Stop scheme, almost one in five of all adult smokers in England will have access to a vape kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit and improve health outcomes.    

The government said the UK is in the lead to be the first country in the world to create a smoke-free generation.