Publish date: 11 March 2026
New figures released to mark National No Smoking Day (11th March) show that around 157,000 people in the North West successfully quit smoking in 2025.*
Separate YouGov polling for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) also reveals that 55% of people who smoke in Greater Manchester want to quit, while 82% of residents who smoke starting before the age of 18.**
The figures come as momentum builds around the Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill and follow Greater Manchester’s hard-hitting ‘What Will You Miss?’ stop smoking campaign.
Delivered across TV, radio, social media and travel networks, the campaign highlights the moments smoking can take away through smoking-related illness or early death and asks people to reflect on what they might truly miss.
The initiative forms part of Greater Manchester’s ambition to become a smokefree city region by 2030.
“You’ve got some obstruction in your lungs”
Phil, a retired teacher, started smoking as a teenager. For years, he didn’t give it much thought, until a routine appointment with his doctor changed everything.
“They sent me for tests and told me I had COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. When they say you’ve got obstruction in your lungs, it makes you shudder.”
Phil was later invited to take up lung cancer screening run by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and following this, diagnosed with lung cancer. Starting radiotherapy, Clinicians helped him understand that quitting, even after decades of smoking - could still significantly improve his health.
“The doctor said it would really help the whole procedure and my recovery if I could give up smoking. It felt like now or never.”
With specialist support, Phil is now on his stop smoking journey.
“I was really impressed by the amount of support that’s out there. Once I understood that stopping smoking would genuinely still help my health and that I wouldn’t be doing it on my own - it changed everything.”
Now Phil is sharing his story in the hope that others will stop smoking sooner, so they don’t miss out on precious time with the people they love, especially grandchildren.
“My message to everyone, and even to myself, is just give it a go. Keep picturing why you’re doing it. For me, it’s my granddaughter. I want as much time as possible to watch her grow up.”
Smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable death in Greater Manchester. But as this year’s figures show, thousands of people are choosing to stop smoking and reclaim the moments that matter most.
Dr Rebecca Fletcher, Director of Public Health Oldham Council and Making Smoking History Lead, Greater Manchester Public Health said:
“Smoking is still the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death in Greater Manchester. The good news is that people can and do stop smoking - and it’s never too late to see real health benefits.
“These latest figures show that many smokers want to stop. National No Smoking Day is a powerful opportunity to take that first step. With free local support, stop smoking aids and expert advice available, you’re up to three times more likely to stop smoking successfully with help than going it alone.
“Every stop smoking attempt matters. Whether it’s your first try or your fifth, the important thing is to keep going, because you can get there and it will make such a difference.”
Professor Matt Evison, Lung Cancer Consultant, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Make Smoking History Clinical Lead said:
“As an NHS lung cancer consultant, I witness tobacco’s cruelty daily - lives cut short, families devastated, suffering that is entirely preventable.”
“When patients come through our lung health checks and screening programmes, many tell us they feel it’s ‘too late’ to stop smoking. That simply isn’t true.
“Stopping smoking at any stage improves lung function, enhances treatment effectiveness and reduces the risk of further disease progression.”
“Our teams work hard to provide practical, compassionate support - because we know people are far more likely to succeed when they don’t feel judged and don’t feel alone.”
Alison Jones, Director of Cancer Commissioning and Early Diagnosis at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance said:
“We see first-hand the devastating impact smoking-related cancers have on individuals and families across our city region.
“But we also know that stopping smoking is one of the most important things someone can do to reduce their cancer risk - even after many years of smoking. It improves treatment outcomes, reduces complications and supports recovery.
“That’s why we’re committed to ensuring that every patient who smokes is offered advice and support to stop. It is never too late to benefit.”
The Smoking Toolkit Study defines someone who smoked in the past year as anyone who smoked cigarettes or other combustible tobacco (e.g., cigars, pipes, or shisha) daily or non-daily in the past 12 months. This is distinct from the normal APS definition of a ‘current smoker’ because it explicitly includes both non-daily cigarette smoking and non-cigarette tobacco smoking. This classification of past-year smoking also includes people who have quit recently, in addition to current smokers.
In the Smoking Toolkit Study, attempting to quit in the past year is assessed among past-year smokers with the question: ‘How many serious attempts to stop smoking have you made in the last 12 months? By serious attempt I mean you decided that you would try to make sure you never smoked again. Please include any attempt that you are currently making and please include any successful attempt made within the last year’.
In the Smoking Toolkit Study, quit success is assessed among past-year smokers who report one or more past-year quit attempt with the question: ‘How long did your most recent serious quit attempt last before you went back to smoking?’. Those who respond that they are still not smoking in the question above are counted as successful quitters. This is distinct from the normal APS or OPN definition of an ‘ex-smoker’, which don’t refer to quit attempts, only to smoking status (current, ex-, or never).
**All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1061 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11/02/2025 - 05/05/2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of adults in Greater Manchester.
Phil and his granddaughter.