London Tobacco Alliance Annual Report 2025/26

The London Tobacco Alliance Annual Report 2025/26

Read the full London Tobacco Alliance Annual Report 2025/26 for more information about the Alliance’s work, campaigns and achievements over the past year.

Partners from local government, the NHS, public health, academia and the voluntary sector worked together to tackle health inequalities, support people to quit smoking and prepare for the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act.

Among the year’s achievements was the continued rollout of the Smoke Free App across all 33 London boroughs, providing thousands of Londoners with free, round-the-clock access to evidence-based stop smoking support. An independent evaluation found that 43% of users reported quitting smoking four weeks after setting their quit date, while the digital service also increased capacity within London’s smoking cessation system and reached people outside traditional service hours.

The report also celebrates the launch of several first of a kind campaigns during 2025, designed to reach communities disproportionately affected by smoking. These included London’s first Stop Smoking London LGBTQ+ Week and the first London Smoking and Mental Health Week, both developed with partners and people with lived experience. Together, the campaigns combined expert advice, personal stories, webinars, digital resources and targeted communications to raise awareness and encourage more people to access stop smoking support.

Throughout the year, the Alliance continued to strengthen its role as a London partnership, bringing together local authorities through the London Tobacco Control Network and Smokefree Councillor Network to share evidence, coordinate campaigns and develop consistent approaches to tobacco control. This collaborative approach is helping boroughs respond collectively to emerging challenges while reducing duplication and sharing best practice.

Alongside supporting national campaigns such as Stoptober, No Smoking Day and World No Tobacco Day, the Alliance developed bespoke London initiatives including Six for 2026, London Smokefree Pregnancy Week and Ramadan resources, ensuring communications were relevant, inclusive and accessible to London’s diverse communities.

The report also outlines the Alliance’s growing work on emerging tobacco control issues. During the year, the LTA worked with the London Association of Directors of Public Health to develop a unified London position statement on youth vaping, while also producing new guidance on smokeless tobacco products and practical resources to support the reintroduction of clinically recommended stop smoking medications across London.

Marking its third anniversary, the London Tobacco Alliance also brought together leaders from across public health, local government, the NHS, academia and the voluntary sector to reflect on progress made since the Alliance was established and to identify priorities for the future. A clear message emerged throughout the event: collaboration remains London’s greatest strength in achieving a smokefree future.

The Annual Report demonstrates how partnership working continues to drive progress towards reducing smoking prevalence, tackling health inequalities and ensuring every Londoner who wants to quit has access to effective, evidence-based support.