Live well

Smoking

Smoking remains the single biggest cause of premature death and disease nationally and locally, and it's the biggest cause of inequalities in mortality rates between the richest and poorest in our communities.

• smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart disease along with being associated with other cancers such as mouth and throat
• each year, almost 270 people in Southwark die from smoking-related illnesses with rates significantly higher than both national and regional levels

Smoking also has a significant economic impact on both health services and more widely on society as a whole. In Southwark, the economic impact of smoking is estimated to be over £84 million per year.

Adult smoking prevalence in Southwark has reduced by around 23% since 2012. In 2017 it was estimated at 12.2%, which is below both the national and London average. There are notable inequalities in smoking prevalence with people from lower socio-economic backgrounds being more likely to smoke. Furthermore, despite the downward trend in smoking prevalence, smoking-attributable mortality in Southwark rates remain significantly above London and England averages.

Effective tobacco control is critical to any strategy to tackle health inequalities, as smoking accounts for around half of the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups. Southwark has worked towards a comprehensive tobacco control approach incorporating the six internationally recognised strands:

• making smoking less affordable
• regulating tobacco products more effectively
• reducing exposure to second hand smoke
• stopping the promotion of tobacco products
• helping smokers to quit
• effective communications for tobacco control

Southwark Public Health together with key partners and stakeholders has produced many documents identifying the local population's needs. Please note that this list will be updated as and when new information becomes available.

Southwark JSNA reports

• Smoking JSNA 2019 ^{(PDF, 1.2mb)}

Other local plans and strategies

• Southwark Tobacco Control Strategy 2017-2020 ^{(PDF, 1.6mb)}

External resources

• OHID, Local Tobacco Control Profiles: Southwark
• Shisha Smoking in South East London, 2014
• Illicit Tobacco in South East London: A survey of smokers, 2013

Page last updated: 07 February 2024