New data published in a University College of London (UCL) report shows quitting success rates at their highest for at least a decade, up to 19.8% for the first 6 months of this year, significantly higher than the average for the last 10 years (15.7%).

Success rates among the less well-off have for years remained consistently low, but in a major turnaround the sharp increase in success rates is being seen entirely among this group. For the first time, smokers in manual occupational groups have virtually the same chances of quitting as those in white collar jobs.

The report coincides with the launch of Stoptober quit smoking challenge, which has inspired over one and a half million quit attempts since 2012. The campaign is based on research that if you stop smoking for 28 days you are 5 times more likely to stop for good.

With Stoptober now in its sixth year, the UCL report gives a number of reasons why there’s never been a better time to quit, including:

• better and more quitting aid options, with e-cigarettes now the most popular
• more restrictions on smoking
• banning the use of attractive brand imagery on tobacco packaging
• a strong anti-smoking culture in England
• effective stop smoking campaigns such as Stoptober

E-cigarettes are the most popular quitting method in England and local stop smoking services are the most effective way to give up, with those who combine the two having some of the highest success rates. Last year over half (53%) of all those taking part in Stoptober opted to use an e-cigarette as a quitting aid. This year the campaign will feature e-cigarettes in the TV ad and will do more to encourage and support smokers who are keen to try e-cigarettes to help them stop smoking.

Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at PHE said:

E-cigarettes are now the most popular way to quit in the country with half of all those taking part in Stoptober last year using an e-cigarette. The evidence is clear – vaping is much less harmful than smoking, a fraction of the risk. So if you’ve struggled with quitting before, an e-cigarette may be the best option for you.

Don’t be put off if you’ve already made several attempts. Join in with Stoptober and benefit from free support direct to your phone, laptop or tablet via the Stoptober app, a daily email giving support or Facebook Messenger, free face-to-face support plus a raft of advice and information on the website. Search ‘Stoptober’ online and join the thousands of others who go smokefree once and for all this year.

Professor Gina Radford, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said:

The battle against smoking is far from over. It is still the country’s biggest killer, causing 79,000 deaths a year. For every death, another 20 smokers are suffering from a smoking-related disease.

Far too many people are still dying as a result of smoking but there has never been a better time to quit. The culture has changed, strong legislation is in place and effective support is available.

It’s never too late to give up. Any smoker, no matter what their age, will feel the health benefits within months. Make the commitment to stop, join Stoptober, and add healthier years to your life.

Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at University College London, said:

Quitting success rates are higher than ever. I think the advances and wider choice of effective quitting options and a strong anti-smoking culture are fuelling this acceleration.

Thinking about giving up may be daunting, but all the evidence shows there has never been an easier to time to stop. Quitting needn’t be the painful journey it used to be and the support you’ll get from Stoptober will increase your chances of succeeding.

The campaign starts on 1 October 2017. Search ‘Stoptober’ online for all the support you need to quit.

1. Visit www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober to sign up or find out more on what support is available.

2. Download Stoptober videos, TV Ad and images of celebrities supporting the campaign.

3. Read UCLs report: Quit success rates in England 2007 to 2017; Jamie Brown Ph.D. Robert West Ph.D.

4. In 2016, 15.5% of adults aged 18 and over currently smoke, down from 19.9% in 2010; In 2000, 26.8 of adults aged 16 and over were smokers. Prevalence since 2010 has fallen most in younger age groups. See the smoking prevalence figures.

5. See PHE’s Tobacco Control Profiles.

6. The total cost from smoking to society in England is approximately £14.7 billion a year. This includes the cost to the NHS of treating diseases caused by smoking which is approximately £2.5 billion a year. Source: ASH: The Local Cost of Tobacco – ASH Ready Reckoner and Towards a smokefree generation: a tobacco control plan for England.
7. There were estimated to be around 79,000 deaths attributable to smoking in 2015. This represents 16% of all deaths.
8. The government’s new Tobacco Control Plan sets a series of challenging ambitions:
   • reduce adult smoking rates from 15.5% to 12% or less
   • reduce the prevalence of 15 year olds who regularly smoke from 8% to 3% or less
   • reduce the prevalence of smoking in pregnancy from 10.7% to 6% or less
9. PHE exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

Securing an ambitious EU exit deal that works for every part of the UK is the Government’s priority, Minister Steve Baker reaffirmed today as he concluded a tour of Cornwall.

Over the course of two days, the Minister took the opportunity to engage with businesses from a variety of sectors across the region – including, fishing, aerospace, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. He attended business roundtables at Falmouth University and Tremough Innovation Centre, and visited Newquay AeroHub Enterprise Zone and Newlyn Fish Market.

Speaking to business leaders and organisation representatives, the Minister used the visit to hear about the opportunities and challenges that the UK’s exit from the EU could pose to the region and how they are preparing.

Minister for Exiting the EU, Steve Baker said:

My visit to Cornwall has been hugely productive and given me a great opportunity to hear about various businesses’ priorities for our EU exit.

We are absolutely committed to achieving a deal which works for every region in the UK which is why it is vital that we continue to speak with businesses and organisations from across the country to ensure their views are fully represented as we move through the negotiations.

With the fourth round of negotiations underway, the visit comes as the UK Government steps up its engagement with businesses across the UK to ensure the voices of British businesses are heard and reflected throughout the exit process.

It is the second regional visit that the Minister has done in two weeks, following his trip to the North East last week.

The UK Government is today launching a new ‘trade dialogue’ with emerging markets in South America to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relationships and to seek continuity in our trade relationships post Brexit.

The dialogue will focus on our strong trade links with 3 Andean countries: Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

Trade Policy Minister, Greg Hands, is in Lima, Peru today, Wednesday 27th September to meet with his Ministerial counterpart Eduardo Ferreyros whilst Minister for Investment, Mark Garnier met Ecuador’s Minister Pablo Campana in London, Monday 25th September.

Greg Hands also announced that the government’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance, will double financial support for UK-Peru trade, offering up to £4 billion of financing available to UK exporters and buyers of UK goods and services in Peru.

Minister for Trade Policy, Greg Hands, said:

As we leave the EU, we need to look outwards and be a beacon for free trade by forging independent trading arrangements with growing economies around the world.

That is why, as an international economic department, we are activating new trade dialogues to provide continuity with emerging markets in Latin America. We want continuing access for export opportunities for British businesses.

Minister for Investment, Mark Garnier, said:

The economies of Latin America have already seen steady growth. We want UK companies to take advantage of the opportunities.

The Peruvian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Eduardo Ferreyros, said:

Minister Hands’ visit to Peru marks the beginning of what will be a very fruitful dialogue in order to ensure continuity in our preferential trade relationship. The UK is a very important partner for Peru in Europe, and we look forward to boosting our trade and investment ties as new opportunities arise for our businesses.

Background

Total trade in goods and services between UK and all South American countries totalled £12.4 billion in 2015. The UK’s biggest exports to the region include spirits, cars and medical equipment, with the biggest imports including coffee, nuts and fruit.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox visited Colombia last month, during which he met Trade Minister María Lorena Gutiérrez and announced that support available from UK Export Finance for trade with the country is doubling to £4.5 billion.

UK-Andean Trade ties

The UK supports the current EU – Andean agreement.

The Institute was established to uphold the quality of apprenticeship standards in England. To support its efforts, it is seeking to bring clarity by defining what an apprenticeship is, what a high quality apprenticeship looks like and how that should be judged. The Institute has today published a draft ‘Quality Statement’ which will act as a core reference point for its work and will help shape the wider apprenticeship landscape. Employers, training providers, assessors and members of the public now have the opportunity to offer feedback on the draft statement and suggest any changes.

Antony Jenkins, Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships said:

Apprenticeships can be fantastic for businesses and learners, but only if they are high quality. It is our duty to make that happen but in order to do it effectively we need to make sure we are all working towards the same goal.

We all have a stake in the delivery of quality apprenticeships, which help to address skills gaps and boost our nation’s workforce. So it is right that everyone has the chance to have their say when we think about what that should mean in practice.”

The survey period will last three weeks, closing on 18 October. A period of assessment will follow, after which a final statement will be published.

Find the draft Quality Statement survey

The short document has been drafted in conjunction with groups collectively monitoring quality and outcomes in the apprenticeship sector – The Quality Alliance. This group brings together the various government bodies whose roles together ensure the quality of apprenticeships. Its membership includes the ESFA (National Apprenticeship Service), Ofsted, Ofqual, HEFCE (The Office for Students), The Quality Assurance Agency and DfE, with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, the Association of Colleges and Universities UK attending as advisors. The Quality Alliance’s role is to monitor quality across the sector and build effective coordination to improve quality where appropriate.

Calls to the criminal applications team will be diverted to central customer services on 0300 200 2020 from 2 October 2017.