Reducing smoking in pregnancy in England—a public health success story

Caitlin Notley, Linda Bauld, Hazel Cheeseman, John Waldron , 2025-05-12 23:05:00
In recent years rates of smoking in pregnancy in England have declined, from 11.7% of pregnant women in 2014/15, to 5.9% in quarter 3 2024/25, according to the latest smoking at the time of delivery (SATOD) figures.1 This is remarkable progress and suggests that a target set in the 2017 Tobacco Control Plan for England2—to reduce rates of smoking to less than 6% of pregnant women and other pregnant people by 2022—has finally been met. The last few years have seen an acceleration in declines that has not been mirrored in smoking rates in the general adult population.3What factors have contributed to this progress? We believe it is a combination of sustained multi-agency working and system change, including embedding a comprehensive approach to stopping smoking during pregnancy as part of the “Saving Babies Lives” care bundle and NHS Long Term Plan.Multi-agency working began at pace in 2012 when the then…
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