Key facts

The key results show that, in England, during the period April to December 2004:

Around 313,100 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services.

At the 4 week follow-up around 170,600 had successfully quit (based on self-report), 54% of those setting a quit date.

Of those setting a quit date, success at the four week follow up increased with age, from 38% of those aged under 18, to 64% of those aged 60 and over.

The majority of those setting a quit date received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Around four fifths (79%) of people received NRT only, 7% received bupropion only, and 1% received both NRT and bupropion.

The cost of prescription items prescribed in GP practices in England that were dispensed in the community in the period April to December was 26.4 million for NRT, 3.7 million for bupropion (Zyban) a total of 30.1 million.

The expenditure on NHS stop smoking services, which does not include the cost of NRT or bupropion on prescription, was 32.3 million.

Summary

This quarterly report presents provisional results from the monitoring of the NHS Stop Smoking Services (formerly known as the smoking cessation services).

Of those clients who set a quit date during the period April to December 2004, 170,600 had successfully quit at the 4 week follow up; this compares with 116,200 in the same period in 2003 (an increase of 47%).