Stop smoking services and health inequalities

This briefing looks at the extent to which stop smoking services are reaching the most disadvantaged individuals.

It is known that smoking is the single biggest preventable cause of heath inequalities, and that such inequalities are widening on some important measures, such as life expectancy.

When stop smoking services were first set up in England, they were piloted in areas of deprivation, with the intention that these services would prioritise supporting less affluent people to quit smoking. This briefing addresses the extent to which stop smoking services have been successful in reducing health inequalities.

Date of last review: March 2025