A new report from the Future Health Research Centre published today finds that there are an estimated 1.8 million households in England with children where someone smokes. Regionally the highest proportion of these households are in the East (8.9%) and North East of England (8.7%). By contrast London (6.3%) and the South East (6.6%) have the lowest regional rates.

The research (Delivering Smokefree Families FINAL November 2023-compressed) – commissioned and funded by Kenvue* – applauds the recent Government announcements on reducing smoking for future generations, but argues that more immediate action is needed to reduce the costs and impacts of families with children where someone smokes[1].

The report has been covered in the Times: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stop-young-parents-smoking-to-protect-children-say-health-researchers-wwcplrv68

The main findings from the research report We are family: delivering more smokefree families in England are:

• 3 million people are currently smoking in England[2] and there are an estimated 1.8 million households in England with children with at least one smoker. The areas with the highest proportion of households with children with at least one smoker are in the East and North East of England
• The number of women smoking during pregnancy has fallen in recent years and is now 8.8%[3]. However, the Government target of reaching 6% by 2022 has been missed. There are an extra 15,045 women currently smoking at the time of delivery as a result of not reaching the target
• Only six of the 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) recorded a smoking in pregnancy rate of below 6% and five of these are in London. Five ICBs recorded rates of 12% or above, double the Government target. Lincolnshire ICB has the highest rate of 14.1%, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has the second highest rate of 13%
• The average age of mothers giving birth in England and Wales is 30.9 years and the age for new fathers is 33.7 years[4]. Both fall within the 25 to 34 year old age group, the age group which has the highest smoking rates (16.3%) and has seen a rise (0.5%) in rates since 2021. An estimated 1.4 million people in this age group are still smoking[5]
• Smoking rates vary significantly across the country. The local authority with the highest recorded smoking rate is Fenland, in the East of England at 27.8%. This is 8.7 times higher than the area with the lowest rate – Oadby and Wigston – in the East Midlands which has a smoking rate of just 3.2%[6]. Only four local authorities are currently below the 5% smokefree target. Higher rates of deprivation are linked to higher smoking rates

Increasing the number of smokefree families will be critical to reducing the smoking rate to 5% by 2030 as set out in the ambitions of the 2019 Prevention Green Paper[7]. To reach the 2030 target, the research finds that 3.2 million less people will need to be smoking in 2030 than today. Only by reducing the number of families with children where someone smokes will this be achieved. The report argues that there needs to be a greater policy focus on supporting the partners of pregnant women and new mothers to quit smoking. Women with partners who smoke are less likely to quit smoking and to relapse after pregnancy.

The report advocates a series of policies for delivering more smokefree families in England, going further than recent announcements in the King’s Speech. This includes increasing the age of sale for tobacco from 18 to 21 before the phasing in of the ‘New Zealand’ policy of annual age increases from 2027; and introducing a tobacco levy to further improve access to stop smoking services and investing in improving broader public health[8].

The report also calls for new public health campaigns to improve awareness on the harms of smoking particularly targeted at younger generations, using plans for pack inserts to communicate messages on the importance of parents for going smokefree and extending planned financial incentives for pregnant women to their partners in areas with higher rates of smoking. The report highlights good practice locally, such as that in Manchester and Newcastle, that it argues should be learnt from and scaled.

Richard Sloggett, Programme Director, Future Health Research said: “The Government has announced strong and welcome action to deliver a smokefree generation in the future. But this research shows that smoking and the harms associated with it are a reality today for nearly two million families with children. It’s time for tough action and a levy on big tobacco profits that can be re-invested in programmes that can increase the number of smokefree families with children, reduce the harms from second hand smoke, limit NHS pressures and lower economic costs.”

Former Public Health Minister, Maggie Throup MP who has contributed a Foreword to the report said: “Smoking remains the single leading preventable cause of illness and mortality in the UK. Reducing smoking rates amongst families with children, as set out in this report, will help tackle health inequalities and lessen the impacts of second hand smoke in the home. Increasing access to stop smoking services and support should be a particular priority for Government and local authorities to help families go smokefree and create a smokefree generation as quickly as possible.”

Charmaine England**, Area Managing Director, Northern Europe, Kenvue said: “Kenvue welcomes the publication of this new report. Far too many children are growing up in households where someone smokes. Whilst significant efforts have been made by the Government to achieve a smokefree society by 2030, further concerted action to deliver more smokefree families is vital, and will benefit both our health and the economy. Whether through delivering on the commitment to create a smokefree generation, through increasing the age of sale for tobacco to 21, introducing pack inserts to include messages that support partners of pregnant women to quit smoking, or through a new wave of Government-led public health campaigning, the actions open to us are far-ranging. We are committed to working with the Government to progress at pace so that together, we can achieve a smokefree society by 2030.”

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651d43df6a6955001278b2b0/cp-949-I-stopping-the-start-our-new-plan-to-create-a-smokefree-generation.pdf

[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2022

[3] https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-women-s-smoking-status-at-time-of-delivery-england

[4] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthcharacteristicsinenglandandwales/2021#:~:text=4.-,Age%20of%20parents,33.7%20years%20(Figure%201)

[5] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2022

[6]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2022

[7] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/advancing-our-health-prevention-in-the-2020s/advancing-our-health-prevention-in-the-2020s-consultation-document

[8] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-khan-review-making-smoking-obsolete

* Kenvue (Johnson & Johnson Ltd)
**Charmaine England, is employed by Kenvue (Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Ltd)