Nationwide surveys on smoking and alcohol inform strategies to help people quit

Two national surveys conducted by UCL’s Tobacco & Alcohol Research Group are informing government strategies to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption and support better health for all.

Smoking and alcohol consumption are two of the leading causes of preventable cancers and other chronic health conditions. Robust data on people’s smoking and drinking is a vital part of driving policy change that will help reduce tobacco- and alcohol-related disease.

Two major population surveys – the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Studies – managed by UCL’s Tobacco & Alcohol Research Group (UTARG) provide monthly updates to the Government on smoking and alcohol use across the UK.

“Every month we survey a new sample of 1800 adults across England. A number of those also complete a follow-up telephone survey a year later,” explains Professor Jamie Brown (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences), Director of UTARG.

The surveys include questions on people’s smoking habits and attempts to quit, and on alcohol use, related problems and attempts to reduce alcohol consumption.

Since 2007, according to the Toolkit study, smoking has declined in England from approximately 24% of adults to 15%, but remains higher among people from more disadvantaged social grades at about 20%. The survey on alcohol consumption shows the number of people who report increasing and higher risk drinking increased dramatically since the start of the COVID pandemic, but at the same time, the number of people trying to control their consumption also increased.

“"The smoking and alcohol toolkit studies are providing important insights into population-wide influences on smoking and alcohol consumption.”

The data from the toolkit studies underpin policy discussions and has informed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Smoking & Health, which has developed recommendations to achieve a Smoke-Free country by 2030. These recommendations are intended to help shape the Government’s 2022 Tobacco Control Plan.

The APPG’s proposals include increasing the age at which people can buy cigarettes to 21 and encouraging women who smoke during pregnancy to quit and provide a smoke-free environment for their children.

Data from the alcohol toolkit study would also be well-placed to evaluate the impact of new evidence-based policies to limit the sale and marketing of alcohol, such as restricting the hours when alcohol can be sold, putting a minimum sale price of 50p per unit on sales and providing health warnings on packaging.

“The smoking and alcohol toolkit studies are providing important insights into population-wide influences on smoking and alcohol consumption,” explains Professor Brown. “It also informs our work to further develop and evaluate interventions, such as smart phone apps that will help people to change their behaviour.”

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