Smoking and mental health conditions: what you need to know

Smoking is the largest single cause of preventable death and accounted for 74,600 deaths in 2019–20. One of the targets in the England Tobacco Control Plan is that the population prevalence of smoking will reach less than 5% of the population. The key to achieving this will be addressing smoking in societal groups where rates are stubbornly high, such as people with mental health conditions. People with mental health problems experience disproportionate levels of tobacco-associated harm, alongside wider social and economic impacts. Primary care can help tackle this health inequality.