Stop Smoking London campaign highlights how nicotine dependency is cutting years off the lives of Londoners with mental health conditions
A new campaign running this week across London is targeting one of the capital’s most overlooked public health challenges — the disproportionately high smoking rates among people living with mental health conditions, and the dangerous cycle this creates.
Stop Smoking London is calling on Londoners with mental health conditions to access free, available support to quit — emphasising that giving up smoking actively improves mental wellbeing rather than harming it.
Why This Matters Specifically for London
Around 760,000 Londoners currently smoke, representing a prevalence rate of 10.6 percent across the capital. While this figure has fallen significantly over the past four decades, it masks a serious inequality hidden within it.
Smoking rates among people with mental health conditions are significantly higher than the general population:
- 26 percent of people experiencing stress and anxiety currently smoke
- 45 percent or more of adults diagnosed with serious mental illness smoke
London’s mental health burden is substantial. The capital has higher rates of diagnosed mental illness than many other UK regions, driven by factors including housing insecurity, financial pressure, social isolation, and the specific stresses of urban living. This means the overlap between mental health and smoking affects a particularly large share of London’s population.
People with serious mental illness in the UK die on average 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population. Smoking is a primary driver of this gap, contributing to the three leading causes of early death in this group: cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and cancer.
Even among the wider smoking population, the average life expectancy loss from smoking is approximately 10 years.
The Vicious Cycle Explained
Many people with mental health conditions smoke because they believe it relieves stress or anxiety. The clinical evidence does not support this. Nicotine dependency creates a cycle where the relief a smoker feels after a cigarette is largely the relief of satisfying a craving that the previous cigarette created.
Withdrawal symptoms between cigarettes — irritability, anxiety, poor concentration — are frequently mistaken for underlying mental health symptoms, reinforcing the belief that smoking provides relief. In reality, quitting smoking is consistently associated with improvements in mood, reduced anxiety, and better overall mental wellbeing.
People living with mental health conditions are twice as likely to smoke as those without — and are also less likely to receive support to stop.
An Additional Risk: Lung Cancer Screening Inequality
This year’s campaign places specific attention on lung health screening inequality. People with serious mental illness are less likely to receive lung health checks, less likely to be screened for lung cancer, and more likely to receive a late diagnosis when cancer does develop.
The NHS offers free Targeted Lung Health Checks to current and former smokers aged 55 to 74 registered with a GP in participating areas. Eligible individuals receive an invitation by post. Given the elevated smoking rates among people with mental health conditions, uptake of these checks is a particularly important health priority for this group.
What Support Is Available Across London
London’s stop smoking infrastructure is extensive, and most services are entirely free:
Free local authority services Every London borough provides smoking cessation support. Services vary by area and can be found at stopsmokinglondon.com.
Smokefree app Available through Stop Smoking London, the app provides 24/7 access to trained cessation advisors, 12 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy or vapes, and motivational support tools.
Nicotine replacement therapy Patches, gum, lozenges, and inhalators are available free through NHS-supported services. NRT is confirmed as safe and effective for people with mental health conditions.
Medication Prescription medication to support quitting is available through GPs and some specialist services. People already receiving mental health treatment should speak to their healthcare team about options.
Tobacco dependency advisors Some mental health services offer specialist tobacco dependency support as part of ongoing treatment.
Practical Steps for Londoners Who Want to Quit
Research consistently shows that quitting with structured support is three times more likely to succeed than attempting to stop without it. The following steps apply specifically to Londoners with mental health conditions:
- Set a quit date — identified as one of the strongest predictors of successful quitting
- Tell someone — friends, family, and peers provide accountability and encouragement
- Download the Smokefree app — immediate, round-the-clock support between appointments
- Ask your GP or mental health team — medication and NRT options can be discussed safely within existing treatment
- Contact your local borough service — find what is available where you live at stopsmokinglondon.com
The Wider London Context
London’s public health services face sustained pressure across multiple fronts. Smoking-related illness costs the NHS billions annually in treatment for preventable conditions. In a city where NHS waiting lists and mental health service capacity are already under significant strain, reducing smoking rates among the highest-risk groups offers direct long-term benefit to both individuals and the health system they rely on.
The campaign runs from 8 to 12 June 2026. For support and local service information, visit stopsmokinglondon.com.
