New analysis for month-long Stoptober campaign suggests nowhere else in England has less desire to give up smoking

Enfield’s smokers are the least willing in England to give up the habit according to a new analysis marking the start of Stoptober, the UK’s national quit smoking campaign.

Online vape store Go Smoke Free analysed NHS data for 152 areas in England between April 2022 and March 2023. It considered which areas were most interested in quitting smoking, as determined by the number of people who had set a quit date per 100,000 smokers in each local authority area.

The research found that Wirral has the highest number of smokers looking to quit, with 8,299 out of every 100,000 smokers in the Merseyside borough reporting to have set a quit date. Stockton-on-Tees ranks second, with 7,564 of every 100,000 smokers, and Hackney ranks third with 7,551.

Four London local authorities are in the top ten, with Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and Westminster all performing well. However, Enfield was found to be the area with the least desire to stop smoking, with only 109 smokers per 100,000 reportedly setting a quit date.

Go Smoke Free also considered which areas were most successful at quitting smoking, as ascertained by the number of people who reported that they had quit during a four-week follow-up – with Enfield again faring very badly.

Warrington was found to be the most successful at quitting smoking in England, with an 84.24% success rate as 1,026 out of 1,218 smokers who set a quit date through NHS stop smoking services reporting they had kept off fags at the four-week follow-up. Darlington ranks second with an 82.07% success rate and North East Lincolnshire ranks third, with 78.29%.

But Enfield has the second-lowest success rate, at 19.23%. Only ten out of 52 people setting a quit date in the North London borough reported that they had quit at the four-week follow-up.

A spokesperson for Go Smoke Free commented: “176,566 people in England attempted to quit smoking through NHS stop smoking services between 2022 and 2023, with an average success rate of 54%, at a four-week follow up.

“Warrington’s success rate of 84% is particularly commendable, however, it is important to acknowledge the determination and commitment of every individual across England who has sought support to quit smoking, regardless of where they are in their journey to going smoke-free.”

Go Smoke Free’s analysis used statistics on NHS stop smoking services in England, between April 2022 and March 2023, from NHS Digital. Local authority areas were ranked based on the number of people setting a quit date per 100,000 smokers. A number of local authorities were omitted from the final rankings where data was unavailable or not comparable.

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