ASH Scotland welcomes new report highlighting 12 per cent increase in quit smoking attempts supported by NHS Scotland
19 December 2024
The number of Scots making quit smoking attempts with the help of NHS Scotland’s expert smoking cessation services rose to 30,314 in 2023/24, representing a 12.4% increase from 26,963 in 2022/23, according to an annual NHS Stop Smoking Services Scotland report published by Public Health Scotland.
There was also a 5.9% rise in the numbers of people supported to quit smoking in Scotland’s poorest areas in 2023/24 compared to the 2022/23 figure.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of health charity ASH Scotland, said: “With tobacco continuing to be the biggest preventable killer in Scotland causing nearly 9,000 premature deaths each year, we warmly welcome Public Health Scotland’s report showing a significant rise in the number of quit smoking attempts supported by NHS smoking cessation services and also that these vital services have reached out to assist many people in our most deprived communities.
“The vast majority of people in Scotland who successfully give up smoking don’t use anything to aid their quit attempts. We are pleased, however, to see more people who need behavioural support are benefiting from NHS Scotland’s free person-centred specialist Quit Your Way services delivered by qualified health professionals which improves the chances of success in reaching a tobacco-free life.”
Dr Garth Reid, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Scotland, added: “This 12 percent increase is the first time in 10 years that the number of quits has increased and represents that so much work has been done by NHS smoking cessation teams across the whole country to support people to give up smoking.
“Many lives will be saved as a result of these interventions and those people who have been supported to give up will have a decreasing risk of being admitted to hospital due to smoking-related illnesses or disease.”
Anyone who has the goal of giving up smoking can contact a Quit Your Way adviser by calling the free helpline on 0800 848484 or create a quit plan at www.quityourway.scot.
Public Health Scotland’s annual update on statistics from NHS Stop Smoking Services in Scotland for the period April 2023 to March 2024 can be viewed here.