Rise in casual smokers who may be less motivated to quit, study warns

An increasing proportion of adults in England are smoking casually and are less likely to be motivated to quit, according to a study.

Those who do not smoke every day “often underestimate the harms” of cigarettes, researchers warned.

They also called for public health campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of casual smoking in a bid to encourage all smokers to try to quit.

The study, published in BMC Medicine, analysed data from 353,711 adults in England between November 2006 and April 2024.

Of the group, some 66,792, or 18.9%, said they were current cigarette smokers.

During the period, the proportion of those smoking cigarettes fell from 24.6% to 13.7%, although the proportion of smokers that did not smoke every day increased from 11% to 27.2%.

Non-daily smoking rates were “consistently higher across the study period among those who were younger, those who vaped, and those who drank more heavily”, researchers said.

The average number of cigarettes smoked per week by non-daily smokers decreased from 34.3 between 2006 and 2009 to 21.1 between 2021 and 2024, the study found.

However, the proportion of non-daily smokers who said they were highly motivated to quit within three months also fell from 30.8% to 21% in the same period.

The academics added: “Although non-daily smokers report smoking fewer cigarettes and weaker urges to smoke than they used to, which may make it easier for them to stop smoking, they appear to be decreasingly motivated to quit.”

Lead author Dr Sarah Jackson, of University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, warned that “cigarette smoking is incredibly harmful, even for people who don’t smoke every day”.

“Non-daily smokers represent a substantial and growing proportion of smokers, but they often underestimate the harms of their smoking and appear to be decreasingly motivated to quit,” she said.

“It can be very difficult to quit smoking, and non-daily smoking is no exception, but a range of effective forms of support are available to boost people’s chances of success.

“Public health campaigns are needed to raise awareness of the harms of non-daily smoking and encourage all smokers to try to quit using the most effective methods.”

Earlier this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated around 11.9% of people aged 18 or over – the equivalent of around six million – smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2023.

The figure, taken from the Annual Population Survey, is the lowest proportion of current smokers since ONS records began in 2011.

It also revealed the age group with the highest proportion of current smokers is 25 to 34 with 14%.

Those aged 18 to 24 reported the largest drop in smoking, falling from 15.9% in 2011 to 9.8% in 2023.

Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “Although it’s positive that people are cutting down on the amount of tobacco they smoke, we know that any level of smoking is damaging for your health.

“That’s why we’re calling on the UK Government to help everyone access the tools they need to quit smoking for good. Ensuring there is sustainable and sufficient funding for cessation services across the UK is key to this.”

Publication of the study comes after the Health Secretary promised to toughen up smoking laws.

Speaking at an event launching a new NHS consultation, Wes Streeting said the Government will introduce a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill before Christmas.

The Bill, tabled in the last parliament, sought to prevent anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought.

It also aimed to impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children.

Mr Streeting said the new Bill “will be more ambitious” than the one proposed by the previous government.

Dr Walker added: “Smoking rates do not fall on their own – they come down with government action.

“It’s vital that the UK Government introduces legislation to raise the age of sale of tobacco products. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help to build a healthier future, prevent cancer and protect people from a lifetime of deadly addiction.”