169,000 quit attempts in the North East in 2025, as Fresh urges people who smoke to join the Smokefree Generation
New figures released to mark National No Smoking Day (11 March) show that around 169,000 people in the North East tried to quit smoking in 2025.
Analysis from UCL’s Smoking Toolkit Study found that among people aged 16 and over in the North East surveyed in 2025 who had smoked in the past year, 46.4% reported they’d recently tried to stop. Of those 28.6% were still not smoking at the time of the survey [1] – equivalent to around 48,000 people across the region.
Separate figures from Fresh from a sample of 1,368 smokers shows the appetite to quit is already strong: 47% of North East smokers say they want to stop and 79% wish they had never started [2].
With the Tobacco and Vapes Bill reaching its final stage in the House of Lords, the UK is on the cusp of introducing a smokefree generation law that will phase out tobacco sales for good, by ensuring anyone born from January 2009 can never legally be sold tobacco.
The North East has seen the largest fall in smoking in England – from 29% in 2005 to 10.2% in 2024. The region also has a Declaration for a Smokefree Future to end the death and disease of tobacco, which was launched in 2023 by Fresh, the Association of Directors of Public Health North East and the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board. Since then NHS trusts and local councils across the region have all backed this.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “This No Smoking Day we’re encouraging anyone who smokes to give it another go.
“Next time you try to stop, using one of the proven ways to quit smoking can boost your willpower, ease the cravings and help you stay off tobacco for good.
“Quitting gives life back – no matter how long you’ve smoked. Your body starts to recover from the day you stop smoking. Your lungs start to repair and you will be able to breathe easier within weeks.”
She added: “Five million people still smoke in the UK – it’s a lethal addiction which kills two in three smokers early. Most people – whether they smoke or not – want a smokefree future for the next generation, free of the death and the many diseases caused by tobacco.”
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in the UK, causing around 80,000 deaths each year [3] and harming nearly every organ of the body. The good news is that stopping smoking brings immediate health benefits at any age.
Many people try to quit smoking with willpower alone, but it’s much easier with help. Quitting aids, vaping and local stop smoking services can give your willpower a turbo-boost and help manage cravings for nicotine.
Colin Thomas, 35, from Newcastle, has turned his life around by quitting smoking. He said: “Quitting smoking has completely transformed my life – my health is better, money worries are gone, and I can give my kids experiences I never could before. This No Smoking Day, take the first step and get the support you need to stop. It really works – and it can give you your life back.”
Cath Watson, from Seaton Delaval in Northumberland, quit smoking following a terrifying episode when she was admitted to hospital after struggling to breathe. Cath, who had smoked since leaving school at 15 – almost 40 cigarettes a day for more than 35 years – was diagnosed with early-stage COPD caused by smoking.
She said: “The day I went into hospital was the day I had my last cigarette. I thought: I’m not putting myself through that again. I can head for a bus now without feeling like I’m going to collapse.
“Look into what COPD really is. People think it’s just being a bit out of breath – it’s not. You literally can’t breathe. It’s life-threatening. Don’t wait until you’re in hospital like I was. Get help now. If I can stop after 35 years, anyone can.”
Karen Lodge, 56, from Stockton, quit smoking after an unexpected discovery at her dentist appointment. The dentist found a shadow at the bottom of her mouth and she was eventually diagnosed with dysplasia – a condition that could lead to mouth cancer.
She said: “My consultant told me that if I didn’t stop smoking straight away, the next stage would be mouth cancer. I just heard the word cancer and broke down in front of my husband.
“Now I feel healthier, I’m eating better, my skin looks brighter. I’ve saved so much money that I’ve been on three holidays. I walk straight past the cigarettes in duty free now.”
Alex Blackham, 58, from Darlington, quit smoking after seeing his three-year-old granddaughter copying him.
He said: “One day my daughter sent me a picture of little Ada with a pencil in her mouth, holding it like a cigarette – just copying me. I was mortified. She must have seen me smoking, remembered it and started mimicking me. That was the moment I realised it had to stop.
“I’m so glad my granddaughters won’t ever see me smoking again. That’s one of the best things I’ve done for myself and my family.
“I would say to people who smoke – write down the benefits of smoking and then write down the benefits of not smoking. You’ll find you only have one list. Set yourself a goal. If you don’t succeed straight away, try again. It’s about breaking the triggers and remembering that it’s an addiction, not just a habit.”
Sixty-year-old Frankie Alexander from Stanley stopped smoking after waking up one night gasping for breath. He received support from the Smokefree County Durham team and since quitting he has seen huge health and financial benefits.
He said: “Quitting smoking changed my life – and my bank balance. I used to blow £400 a month on cigarettes. Now, every Friday when I get paid, I put that £100 in a tin.
“My job’s easier and I feel fitter. I used to drive to the shop even if it was just a few hundred metres. Now I walk miles with the dog.”
Former pub landlord and nightclub doorman Denham Thomas, who lived in Hartlepool, died in October 2021 more than a decade after smoking robbed him of his health with COPD. His widow Debbie and daughter Sadie want to raise awareness of the nature of his death to encourage more people to get help to quit smoking.
Debbie said: “Nothing can prepare you for how frightening it is to see someone close to you struggling to breathe. It was such an awful experience because whilst he was gasping for every breath and his lips were going blue, all I could do was watch because if I tried to help it would only have made the situation worse. He would tell everyone he could to stop smoking and tell them: ‘You don’t want to end up in a wheelchair and on oxygen like me’.”
Quitting aids and treatments are easy to buy from shops, pharmacies and on prescription to help you quit smoking and ease cravings. Choose from nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches, sprays, gum, inhalator and lozenges or prescription medications such as cytisinicline and varenicline.
Local Stop Smoking Services provide free expert advice, support and encouragement to help people stop smoking. There are free local services all across the North East who can provide tailored support and stop smoking aids for you. With their help you are around 3 times more likely to quit for good.
Nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking. It’s also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.
Download the Smoke Free Digital support tool – it’s a digital stop smoking service that gives you support straight to your phone or email, whenever you need it. Visit FreshQuit.co.uk to find out more.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of charity Action on Smoking and Health said:
“History shows that big, high-profile policies create a real ripple effect. When smokefree laws banning smoking in public places were introduced in 2007 almost one in five people who tried to quit said the new law helped motivate them. Now we have the chance to do that again, inspiring the 5.3 million people still smoking to join the smokefree generation and take a step towards ending the harm caused by tobacco.”
References
[1] Smoking Toolkit Study. https://smokinginengland.info/
[2] Figures from independent face to face survey of 1,368 smokers and recent quitters by Bluegrass: sample weighted to be representative of the NENC ICB region, using data from ONS ‘Smoking habits in the UK and its constituent countries’ for age, gender, and socio-economics, OHID Fingertips for prevalence by location
[3] Adult smoking habits in the UK – Office for National Statistics
[4] Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Burden Study of Disease, 2023, United Kingdom