About Us

SmokeFree London was established in April 2000 to fulfil a commitment made in The modernisation Plan for the NHS in London to 'help underpin local smoking reduction activities and help shift public opinion towards non-smoking as the norm'.

We are an alliance of agencies working together to improve the health of all Londoners by eliminating or reducing their exposure to tobacco.

Reducing smoking is a government priority as well as a priority for London. Action to reduce smoking is the responsibility of a range of agencies - including London's 32 Primary Care Trusts, local authorities and many non-government organisations.

Earlier this year the London Health Commission agreed a formal partnership arrangement with us, which will involve establishing a Tobacco/Health Forum. The London Health Commission is an independent, high-level strategic partnership that seeks to improve the well being of all Londoners and reduce inequalities in health.

The overall goal of SmokeFree London is to improve the health of all Londoners by reducing their exposure to tobacco in all its forms. Our objectives are:

Promoting cessation of tobacco use

To increase public awareness of the benefits of smoking cessation and of the existence of smoking cessation services
To increase the accessibility and appropriateness of smoking cessation interventions for identified targeted population groups
To increase the promotion and accessibility of a range of resources and services to assist smokers to quit
To increase the range and quality of targeted services to help smokers quit

Reducing uptake of tobacco use

To reduce access to tobacco products and to reduce illegal sales of tobacco to minors
To reduce the promotion of tobacco products and to contribute to the development of effective legislation to ban the promotion of tobacco products

Reducing exposure to second-hand smoke

To raise public awareness and understanding of the health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke
To establish smoke-free environments (both private and public) as the norm by increasing the amount of smoke-free areas in public places
To increase public understanding of second-hand smoke as a threat to London's health and economy.

Promoting policy advances and strengthening action on tobacco control

To increase understanding of the most efficient approaches to smoking reduction
To increase public and professional understanding of the scale of the epidemic and support for tobacco control initiatives