The Department of Health today published statistical tables relating to smoking cessation services for 2022/23.

The statistical tables provide 4-week follow-up information on people reporting to smoking cessation services during the year 2022/23, in addition to figures for the 52-week follow-up of people who signed up to the programme in 2021/22.

Key Findings

• a total of 7,988 people set a quit date through the smoking cessation services in 2022/23, a similar number to the previous year (8,039 in 2021/22). There has been a decline in the number of people accessing smoking cessation services over the last decade, from a high of 39,204 people in 2011/12.
• nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was the most popular therapeutic intervention, with 73% of those who set a quit date having used this therapy.
• at the 4-week follow-up 4,816 people (60% of those setting a quit date) reported that they had successfully quit, 21% had not quit and 18% could not be contacted for the follow-up.
• the 4-week success rate was 62% for males and 59% for females.
• a third (31%) of the 7,950 adults who set a quit date were from the most deprived quintile while a further quarter (24%) were from the second most deprived quintile. This compares with around one in ten (9%) from the least deprived quintile. The 4-week success rate was 57% for those in the most deprived quintile compared with 60% in the least deprived quintile.
• of the 591 women who were recorded as being pregnant, 33% were from the most deprived quintile compared with 9% from the least deprived quintile. At the 4-week follow-up, 62% of pregnant women reported to have successfully quit, 21% had not quit, and 17% were not able to be contacted.
• at the 52-week follow-up of those that had quit at 4 weeks in 2021/22, around two-fifths (39%) reported still being tobacco free, while a quarter (23%) had resumed smoking, and a further 38% could not be contacted.