Health

The Stoptober challenge that’s saved 2,000 Wandsworth lives

Free council programme achieves 57% success rate, but new data shows who’s being left behind.

October 6, 2025

4 minute read

Successful quitters: Peter, Ricardo, Mario and Daniella, alongside stop smoking advisors Anna Carvell-Hall and Chelone Lee Wo.

Twenty thousand Wandsworth residents will wake up tomorrow and reach for a cigarette – but this October, the council is offering them a way out that’s already helped 2,000 people quit for good.

As part of Stoptober, a national campaign encouraging smokers to quit for 28 days, stop smoking advisors will be holding free drop-in sessions across the borough throughout October, armed with evidence that their approach works: a new council report shows Wandsworth’s service achieves a 57% quit rate, beating the national average.

The Annual Director of Public Health Report 2025 [pdf] reveals that between 2019 and 2023, 3,851 people accessed the borough’s free stop smoking service, with 2,187 successfully quitting. The service remains available year-round to all Wandsworth residents and workers through community locations and telephone support, with Stoptober sessions planned at the Town Hall and on the council’s Health Bus.

Around 20,000 Wandsworth residents continue to smoke daily, representing 7.8% of the adult population – one of the lowest rates in England compared to the national average of 11.6%.

However, the report reveals that the number of people accessing the service and quitting has declined by more than 50% since 2019-20, mirroring a national trend in reduced uptake of stop smoking services.

Personal journeys to quitting

The report includes testimony from residents who successfully quit with service support. Peter, a former apprentice joiner, described how smoking was simply normal decades ago: “It was the ‘in’ thing to do in those days. Everybody did it then.”

What started as a social habit became deeply entrenched. “It becomes such a habit,” Peter said. “If I didn’t have a cigarette on my person, I thought I must rush out and buy some. It was always at the top of the shopping list.”

244,010 cigarettes are consumed every day in Wandsworth, resulting in 13 tonnes of waste annually; five of them street litter

For Ricardo, the turning point came from his surgeon: “My surgeon said I must give up smoking immediately, so I did.” He found success with an inhalator after patches proved unsuitable.

Catherine credited the borough’s new Swap to Stop scheme, launched in 2024, which offers free vaping equipment alongside behavioural support. “The fact that they gave me a free vape and liquid, I didn’t have to spend any money,” she said. “I’ve had the patches and other nicotine replacement before and that didn’t work for me.”

Weekly telephone support from stop smoking advisors proved crucial: “I also had Anna on the phone every week. Even if I wasn’t able to speak to her, I always knew she was there.”

The cost of smoking

The report estimates smoking costs Wandsworth society £211 million annually through lost productivity, healthcare expenses, social care, and fire-related incidents. Social care needs alone cost the council £2.7 million per year, with an additional £20.1 million spent on informal care by friends and family.

Cigarette waste creates an environmental burden, with approximately 244,010 cigarettes consumed daily in Wandsworth. This results in 13 tonnes of waste annually, with five tonnes discarded as street litter requiring council collection.

For individual smokers, the financial burden has increased significantly. Daniella, who is pregnant, noted: “It costs £25 for a pack of tobacco, or £15 for a pack of cigarettes. You can’t even buy 10 anymore. It does affect me financially.”

Between 2017 and 2019, smoking contributed to 530 deaths in Wandsworth, with 1,265 hospital admissions for smoking-related conditions in 2019-20. The potential years of life lost due to smoking-related illnesses during 2016-18 was 3,336 years.

Priority populations face higher rates

While overall smoking rates have declined, the report highlights significant disparities among priority populations. Smoking prevalence among adults with long-term mental health conditions stands at 38.4% – nearly five times higher than the general population. Among those admitted to treatment for substance misuse, the rate reaches 71.8%.

Stop Smoking Advisor Anna Carvell-Hall explains that people in routine occupations often face additional barriers: “Being surrounded by other smokers or in environments where smoking is common can make quitting more difficult. For many people, smoking acts as a crutch, especially during stressful times.”

Wandsworth Council offers evidence-based support including nicotine replacement therapies, vaping equipment, and behavioural counselling. Specialist advisors provide tailored support, with additional pathways for priority populations including pregnant women and people with mental health conditions.

Data shows service users came from all 22 wards in Wandsworth, with 52% residing in the most deprived areas. While 62% of service users were aged 15-49, the highest proportion of successful quitters were aged 50-64.

Ambitious 2030 target

Director of Public Health Shannon Katiyo said: “Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health. This report shows the progress we’ve made, but also the challenges ahead. We will continue working with our NHS and community partners to make sure everyone who wants to quit gets the support they need.”

Councillor Graeme Henderson, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Safety, added: “Everybody used to smoke, but now we have the chance to make smoking a thing of the past in Wandsworth. Through strong partnerships, innovative services and the resilience of our residents, we are closer than ever to a future where smoking is obsolete.”

The report’s publication coincides with the 2024 Tobacco and Vapes Bill making its way through parliament, which aims to create the first “smokefree generation” by ending cigarette sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.