Richmond has achieved the nation's third lowest smoking rates, with an adult smoking prevalence of 6.7% as of 2022/24, a figure significantly lower than the national average of 10.9%. This success is attributed to a multi-faceted approach including the Smoke Free App
, the Swap to Stop
scheme offering free vape kits, a Feel Free
campaign to raise awareness, and community outreach via the Come and Have a Chat about Smoking Health Bus
.
Despite this positive trend, disparities persist, with smoking prevalence remaining high among priority populations, including individuals with serious mental illness and those in routine and manual occupations. These groups are considered a more complex cohort
, often requiring more time and multiple attempts to successfully quit.
To address these challenges, Richmond is developing a three-year action plan for smoking. Furthermore, a pioneering relapse-prevention pilot programme
is in place for individuals with serious mental illness who smoke, in partnership with South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. The borough is also collaborating with NHS partners on smoking prevention efforts and is convening a tobacco control alliance
across South West London to foster greater collaboration.
The Stop Smoking Service reported that between April 2025 and December 2025, 256 people engaged with the service, and 133 successfully quit smoking. The success rate for those who set a quit date was 57.8% in 2024/25, which is higher than the national average of 53.6%.
Richmond's commitment to reducing smoking rates is further evidenced by its ongoing work with NHS colleagues to support smoking prevention and the establishment of the tobacco control alliance. These initiatives aim to address the challenges of reaching the last few smokers
and further reduce smoking prevalence across the borough.
