Engaging with still-smokers

It is well-known that smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and it’s becoming more widely understood that it’s a risk factor for other diseases that impact quality of life and shorten life expectancy. Smoking can also affect skin texture, leading to a prematurely aged facial appearance.

Smoking has been banned in enclosed public spaces in the UK for the best part of 15 years; you won’t get much change from £10 if you buy a packet of cigarettes (or £15, for the most expensive brands), either. The latest available figures show that, overall, smoking prevalence has fallen, putting it at around 14 per cent of adults (approximately 6.9m people). In 2020, during the first national lockdown, research suggested a rise in the number of young adults who smoke, possibly as a stress-reliever; the rate of “risky drinking” increased too. But in the same period, more smokers did manage to stop.