If you would like further information about anything on this page, please email LiveBreatheLeeds@leeds.gov.uk.
Smoking in Leeds: the challenge ahead
Over the last 20 years, Leeds has seen a steady decline in smoking and tobacco use. However, based on primary care data, more than 16% of the Leeds population still smoke—that’s around 113,000 people.
There’s still work to do.
- 1 in 3 people who smoke will die from a smoking-related disease.
- Smoking is one of the biggest preventable causes of ill health and death.
- Smoking has a major impact on health and drives inequality.
Our mission is to make Leeds a smokefree city.
Watch the video below to learn how smoking affects health and contributes to inequality.
Live Breathe Leeds
Be Part of Live Breathe Leeds
Live Breathe Leeds is the city’s shared identity for all work related to tobacco and nicotine control. It represents a collective effort to make Leeds a healthier, smokefree city.
Leeds City Council commissions the Leeds Stop Smoking Service, which provides expert support to help people quit for good. But stopping smoking is just one part of the wider tobacco control work happening across Leeds.
Live Breathe Leeds brings together partners, professionals and organisations all working towards the same goal. Whether you’re:
- developing new no smoking or vaping signs
- running campaigns
- supporting people in your community
You’re part of the movement.
Show your support for Live Breathe Leeds
You’re welcome to use the Live Breathe Leeds branding to show your support.
If you’d like access to the brand deck or have any questions, please email Live Breathe Leeds.
Let’s work together to help Leeds live and breathe smokefree.
Training and resources
How to talk with people about smoking
Our Public Health team has developed a set of short videos that demonstrate how to deliver very brief advice on smoking using a model called: Ask, Advise, Act. Each video is under 5 minutes long.
The videos show a range of professionals having quick, meaningful conversations in different settings. They're ideal for anyone working with people where there’s an opportunity to support a smokefree lifestyle. Each video includes details about the Leeds Stop Smoking Service.
Video links:
If you're interested in learning more, you can access free online training for all allied professionals at the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT)
For broader training on health conversations, visit our webpage on public health training for people working in Leeds and navigate to the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) section,
For local support or enquiries about tobacco control in Leeds, please email Live Breathe Leeds.
Leeds Stop Smoking Services
Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health, well-being and bank balance.
Leeds Stop Smoking Services are available to support anyone living in Leeds. People who use a smoking cessation service are up to five times more likely to quit for good.
The services provide an evidence-based treatment programme including behavioural support, free nicotine replacement therapy and vapes to support people to quit.
They can offer tailored treatment programmes for those with common mental health conditions and or long-term health conditions.
Support is provided in a variety of ways such as:
- face to face
- one to one
- group sessions
- telephone support
- digital support
- hybrid support
For more information on our services and how to refer visit the Leeds Stop Smoking Services website.
The below film highlights the impact tobacco can have on people’s lives and how the services can support people to quit:
Campaigns and Communications
This section includes links and information about local, regional and national campaigns related to tobacco, nicotine and smoking.
If you would like access to any of the campaign materials listed below, or support to help promote them, please e-mail Live Breathe Leeds.
National / international campaigns and awareness days:
- National No Smoking Day – 12 March 2026
- World No Tobacco Day – 31 May 2026
- Stoptober – 1 to 31 October
Regional campaigns:
Yes to Quit is a collaboration aiming to help people stop smoking. In 2025, it was delivered collaboratively with 15 local authorities across Humber and North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
Local Campaigns:
The Live Breathe Leeds communications pack can be used for no smoking or vaping signage and policy documents related to tobacco or nicotine.
For brand guidelines, slide decks and logos in different colour options, please email Live Breathe Leeds.
Cheap illicit tobacco
Tackling illicit tobacco
Leeds City Council works with Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield to fund West Yorkshire Trading Standards. Together, we tackle the supply of cheap illicit tobacco across the region.
Stopping the sale of illegal and counterfeit tobacco is a key part of wider tobacco control work. These products — along with underage sales — undermine efforts to reduce smoking rates locally and nationally.
Illicit tobacco is often found in areas of high deprivation, where communities are more likely to be affected by smoking. West Yorkshire Trading Standards uses local reporting and intelligence to identify where enforcement is needed.
Report illicit tobacco or underage sales
You can report illicit tobacco, nicotine products (including vapes and pouches), and underage sales using the following options:
- Phone Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133
- Use the Citizens Advice online form – available from 5pm on Fridays to 9am on Mondays
- Visit the cheap and illicit tobacco pages of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards website for more information
Training and information sessions
West Yorkshire Trading Standards offers free sessions for organisations, professionals, and children and young people. These cover:
- what illicit tobacco is
- how to report it
- how it links to serious organised crime
To arrange a session, contact Kerry Holmes by e-mailing kerry.holmes@wyjs.org.uk
You can also contact Kerry to:
- become a community champion
- sign up to her quarterly newsletter
Watch the video below which offers insight into the work being done to tackle illicit tobacco.
Current legislation
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a major step forward in the UK’s approach to tobacco and nicotine control. It aims to create a smoke-free generation and reduce the appeal of vaping to children, while continuing to support vaping as a quit aid for adults.
The Bill is currently progressing through Parliament. You can follow its progress on the UK Parliament website
If passed, the Bill will introduce new regulations with wide-reaching implications for public health.
Key provisions of the tobacco and vapes bill include:
- a smoke-free generation
It will become illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The legal age of sale will increase each year - vaping regulation
The Bill proposes new rules to reduce the appeal of vaping to children by:- restricting advertising and marketing
- regulating flavours, packaging and display
- extending rules to zero-nicotine vapes and nicotine pouches
- enforcement
Stronger enforcement measures will include fixed penalty notices for underage sales and licensing breaches - public health measures
The Bill supports wider efforts to help people quit smoking and will extend smoke-free areas to include vape-free zones in some public spaces - licensing
A new licensing scheme will be introduced for retailers selling tobacco, vapes and nicotine products
Disposable Vapes Ban
From 1 June 2025, it is illegal to sell or supply single-use (disposable) vapes in the UK
This includes all vapes that:
- cannot be recharged
- cannot be refilled
The ban applies to all businesses and organisations, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and healthcare settings. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to £200, or prosecution with unlimited fines and prison sentences.
Why the ban was introduced
The ban is part of a broader effort to reduce environmental damage and tackle the rise in youth vaping and it aims to:
- reduce environmental damage caused by vape waste
- tackle the rise in youth vaping
- support a shift to reusable alternatives
Discarded single-use vapes contribute to litter, pollution and fire risks. They contain harmful chemicals and valuable materials like lithium, which are rarely recycled.
Retailers can find more information on the Government’s webpages on the single-use vapes ban: information for businesses
Smoking data
Data and intelligence
We use local and national datasets to identify priority areas of focus for tobacco and nicotine work across Leeds.
If you are working in a local area and would like support accessing smoking data, please email Live Breathe Leeds.
Where to find data
You can access smoking-related data from the following sources:
- Smoking Profile – Department of Health and Social Care
This includes national and local data on smoking prevalence, quit rates and health outcomes. - Leeds Observatory
A local data platform offering insights across a range of topics, including health, deprivation and population statistics.
