This statistical press release presents provisional results from the
monitoring of the smoking cessation services. These services were
launched in the Health Action Zones in 1999/00, and were set up in
all Health Authorities in England in 2000/01.

Of those clients who set a quit date during the period April to
September 2002, 54,700 had successfully quit at the 4 week follow up;
this compares with 53,500 (an increase of 2% over the same period in
2001).
- The key results show that, in England, during the period April to
  September 2002:
- Around 106,900 people set a quit date through the smoking cessation
  services.
- At the 4 week follow-up around 54,700 had successfully quit (based
  on self-report), 51% of those setting a quit date.
- Of those setting a quit date, more than half (53%) were aged 35-59;
  27% were aged 18-34, 1% were aged under 18 and 18% were aged 60 and
  over.
- The majority of people received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).
  Around 73% of people received NRT only, around 12% received
  bupropion only, and around 2% received both NRT and bupropion.
- The expenditure on smoking cessation services, which does not
  include the cost of NRT or bupropion on prescription, was #10.4
  million.

Some tables giving more details of these results are attached.
(NOTE: HARD COPY ONLY)
Produced by the Government Statistical Service

Notes to editors
1. Press copies of the Statistical Press Release, 'Statistics on
smoking cessation services in the Health Authorities in England,
April to September 2002' are available from: the Department of Health
Press Office, tel: 020 7210 5221. It will also be available as soon
as practical after 9.30am on 20 February 2003 from the Department of
Health's web site at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/stats1.htm

2. The White Paper, 'Smoking Kills', was published in December 1998
outlining the Government's policies on smoking. This contained three
key targets: young people's smoking; adult smoking; and pregnant
women. The establishment of smoking cessation services in the NHS is
an important element of the Government's strategy for tackling
smoking in recognition that many smokers want to stop, but find it
hard to do so. This policy has been more recently restated in the NHS
Plan and the NHS Cancer Plan.

3. Smoking cessation services were launched in the Health Action
Zones in 1999/00, with services rolled out across the NHS in 2000/01.
In the three years up to and including 2001/02, #53m has been made
available for these services with a further substantial amount for
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and bupropion (Zyban) on NHS
prescription. A further #20m has been made available for the smoking
cessation services in 2002/03.

4. For 2001/02, a target was set for the services of 50,000
successful quitters at the 4 week follow up (based on self-report);
for 2002/03, the target is 100,000 successful quitters at the 4 week
follow-up. A target for the three years 2003/4 to 2005/06 of 800,000
successful quitters at the 4 week follow up (based on self report)
has been announced in the document Priorities and Planning Framework
2003-2006 available on the web site:
http://www.doh.gov.uk/planning2003-2006/index.htm.

5. Information on the number of people setting a quit date, and the
number who successfully quit at the 4 week follow-up (self report),
for each Strategic Health Authority, has been included for the first
time (table 5b).

6. Final figures for 2001/02 were published in a Statistical Bulletin
on 7 November 2002; this Statistical Bulletin is available on the web
site: http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/stats1.htm

7. A Statistical Bulletin presenting information from a variety of
sources on smoking titled 'Statistics on smoking: England, 1978
onwards' was published on 20 July 2000. Copies of this bulletin are
available from: Department of Health, PO Box 777, London SEI 6XH,
Tel: 0871 555 455 and Fax: 01623 724 524. Press copies are available
from the Department of Health Press Office, tel: 020 7210 5221. 
It is also available on the Department of Health web site:
www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0017.htm

8. The telephone number for the NHS smoking helpline is 
0800 169 0 169. The telephone number for the NHS pregnancy smoking
helpline is 0800 169 9 169.

Department of Health
20 February 2003

ENDS