Supporting people who smoke to stop
Too often, smoking has been referred to as a “habit” but smoking is an addiction. It is one that most people who smoke start as children and, tragically, up to 2 out of 3 people who smoke who don’t quit will die early.
We know many people who smoke in the North East would like to quit at any given time, and around half are trying to cut down, but stopping completely can feel hard. And for those who do want to quit, health is the main reason.
Reducing smoking prevalence to 5% or lower will mean both increasing quit attempts and people’s success rates when they make a quit attempt. It also means a greater understanding of the reasons why people fail to succeed when they try to quit.
Fresh supports a system-wide approach to stop smoking effective options as possible to quit is important in order to increase engagement and quitting success.
Support to ADPH and NHS
Fresh supports the ADPH North East Tobacco Commissioners Network to fulfill their goal of creating a system-wide approach which normalises quitting and ensures that smokers are supported appropriately in their efforts to stop, supporting initiatives like the regional Patient Group Direction and Pharmacy supply service. See the ADPHNE statement on Helping Smokers to quit)
The Tobacco Commissioners Network is an important group that supports effective commissioning of stop smoking services and interventions to maximise overall population impact. Fresh supports and facilitates the system-wide approach between Local Authorities and the NENC ICB, putting the person at the centre to achieve our collective vision of a Smokefree future free of the death and disease of tobacco.
We also provide ongoing support to the ADPHNE and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board around the delivery of prevention within the NHS through supporting the Treating Tobacco Dependency programme.
The NENC Smokefree NHS/ Treating Tobacco Dependency Taskforce works across the ICS to reduce the harm caused by tobacco through a multi-strand approach that prioritises tobacco dependency treatment, prevention and wider tobacco control strategies.
Read about the work of the Tobacco programme | North East and North Cumbria NHS (northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk)
We know that some people who smoke will require more support to quit, and this help must be targeted to them. Two key priority groups are pregnant people who smoke and people with a mental health condition.
Fresh is also a member of the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group and the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership.
Vaping
With increased focus on vaping, we work with regional and local partners and local tobacco alliances to cascade and discuss new research and information relating to quitting and tobacco harm reduction to help achieve the Smokefree 2030 ambition.
We are providing strategic leadership and guidance around vaping recognising that it is less harmful than tobacco smoking and help smokers to quit but as it’s not risk free we don’t want non-smokers including children and young people, to take up vaping.
The NENC ICB Smokefree NHS/Treating Tobacco Dependency Taskforce has also updated its SFNHS vaping position statement for 2025.
To find out more about latest developments and data around vaping visit: Vaping and Tobacco Harm Reduction – ASH
Association of Directors of Public Health NE - position statement nicotine vaping
We liaise closely with the ADPHNE on vaping developments and they have a position statement on nicotine vaping.
Read the ADPHNE Position Statement-Nicotine Vaping-August 2025
One of the key ways to reduce smoking prevalence is to increase the numbers of smokers who try to quit each year and encourage them to use effective ways to stop – from stop smoking services to quit aids and vaping.
Fresh works to empower smokers with the awareness and the motivation to make quit attempts and signpost local support through year-round campaigns and communications.
What is the link between smoking & deprivation? Dr Sharon Cox
Dr Sharon Cox from the Tobacco & Alcohol Research Group at University College London looks at the link between smoking & deprivation – who needs the most support to stop & what works best? Filmed at the Fresh “Smokefree Future” conference in Sept 2023.