Who is and who is not attempting to quit smoking? A population study in Great Britain, 2020-2026

The study examined the prevalence of quit attempts among smokers in Great Britain between 2020 and 2026 in a sample of 24,786 adults who smoked in the past year. Overall, 36.7% of smokers reported making at least one serious quit attempt in the previous 12 months. Quit attempts were more common among younger people (48% among 18-24-year-olds) and declined progressively with age (24.6% among those over 65 years old). Higher likelihood of quit attempts was reported among people with diagnosed mental health conditions and those using nicotine replacement therapy or e-cigarettes. Conversely, people with higher cigarette consumption and higher alcohol consumption had lower likelihood of quit attempts. Motivation to stop smoking was the strongest factor influencing quit attempts. Geographic differences were modest, with prevalence ranging from 32.1% in Wales to 39.4% in North East England.