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Leading the way together
'Leading the way together' graphic text in the LTA brand colours
'Leading the way together' in dark blue writing on a clear background

The London Tobacco Alliance has been created to enable partners to accelerate efforts to eliminate smoking in London. The culmination of years of work, it is the first of its kind in the capital. We are leading the way together to end smoking in London.

Find out more about the London Tobacco Alliance

What we do

The London Tobacco Alliance is a regional voice to make London smokefree by 2030 and focuses on the inequalities around smoking.

Join us
  • Driven by Big Ambition

    Regional Tobacco Alliances work. The Alliance works by convening partners and experts, to share best-practice, innovations and up-to-date insights, as well as identify opportunities for tackling illicit tobacco. Through the Alliance, we can understand what’s being delivered in London and where and work together to fill any gaps.

  • City wide action to reduce smoking-related health inequalities

    The London Tobacco Alliance combines city-wide efforts to prioritise the health and wellbeing of Londoners, address health inequalities attributable to tobacco, and ensure our children grow up without ever facing the temptation to start smoking.

  • Working together in a coordinated way

    Through collaboration, partners will share and create effective system-wide approaches, using Stop Smoking London as a key resource to help more Londoners stop smoking. We will do things once for London, including position statements, partner resources and best practice approaches.

  • A range of partners with a shared vision for London

    Our aim is to ensure becoming a smokefree city remains a top public health priority for London, supporting the shared ambition to be the world’s healthiest city. London Tobacco Alliance partners include Directors of Public Health, representatives from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, the NHS in London, London Councils, the GLA as well as voluntary sector organisations and academic institutions.

Aim – London Tobacco Alliance

Through partnership working, and by focusing on the inequalities that surround smoking – our aim is to make London Smokefree by 2030. Smoking is the biggest avoidable cause of death, disability, and social inequality in health in the UK.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

The London Tobacco Alliance is committed to protecting public health policies from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry, in line with Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

We do not accept any funding, support, or partnership from the tobacco industry, its subsidiaries, or related entities. All activities, resources, and communications provided by the London Tobacco Alliance are developed independently, with the sole aim of improving health and reducing the harms caused by tobacco use.

By maintaining transparency and independence, we ensure that our work is free from any influence or interference by the tobacco industry.

Read more on WHO FCTC
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News & Events

news
The London Tobacco Alliance has launched a Community of Practice
4th November 2026

Strengthening London’s Tobacco Control: Inside our new Community of Practice

Read full article
news
Lilith wants to stop smoking
25th October 2026

Ground-breaking survey shines new light on smoking rates in London’s LGBTQ+ community

Read full article
news
Jon Winter presenting at SCAH
23rd September 2026

London Tobacco Alliance LGBTQ+ Campaign presented at SCaH 2026

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news
New Cochrane Review strengthens vaping stop smoking evidence. Man vaping.
2nd September 2026

New Cochrane review strengthens evidence for vaping as a smoking cessation tool

Read full article
news
Wim's Protocol Cover
4th August 2026

An important reminder on clozapine prescribing for smoking cessation

Read full article

Quitting methods – What works?

1

Most effective

Local stop smoking services offer the best chance of success.

A person is 3 times as likely to quit with behavioural support than using willpower alone.

Local stop smoking services offer the best chance of success.

A person is 3 times as likely to quit with behavioural support than using willpower alone.

2

Using medication prescribed by a GP, pharmacist, or other health professional…

…doubles a person’s chances of quitting.

Stop smoking medication icon dark blue

Using medication prescribed by a GP, pharmacist, or other health professional…

…doubles a person’s chances of quitting.

3

Using over-the-counter nicotine replacement such as patches, gum or e-cigarettes…

…increases chances of success by 1.5 times.

Nicotine replacement icon dark blue

Using over-the-counter nicotine replacement such as patches, gum or e-cigarettes…

…increases chances of success by 1.5 times.

4

Least effective

Using willpower alone is the least effective method.

'Prohibited' circle with strike through sign dark blue

Using willpower alone is the least effective method.

Most effective Least effective

How stopping smoking benefits the body:

Blood pressure and heart rate icon

Decreases blood pressure and heart rate.

Halves the risk of heart attacks and strokes icon

Halves the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Risk of lung cancer and chronic lung disease icon

Decreases the risk of death through lung cancer and chronic lung disease.

Head and throat cross section icon dark blue

Reduces the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus and stomach.

% increase icon dark blue

Reduces the risk of impotence in men and fertility issues in women.

Risk of brittle bones and osteoporosis icon

Reduces the risk of brittle bones and osteoporosis.

Clock to signify reduced premature aging icon

Improves the skin’s appearance and reduces premature ageing.

Testimonials

Through partnership, through innovation and with stated aspiration and ambition – we will save lives.

“My parents died when I was 23. They both died of cancer. Both died because of smoking. We had two years prior to their death of terrible experience, in terms of health and me seeing my parents die literally in front of me. I don’t want any family to go through that and so therefore for me, it’s not just a health-related issue or a community issue. For me it’s personal. If we can actually make this work then we reduce down the terrible impact that tobacco has on society.”
Bob Blackman MP

Bob Blackman

MP for Harrow and Chair APPG on Tobacco

“Regional Tobacco Alliances work. We have great examples of where they’ve been highly effective in other parts of the country and we’re now keen to bring the learning and expertise from that to bring to bear here in London. Through the alliance we’ll be able to understand what’s being delivered in the city at this time, where the gaps are and how working together we can help to fill those gaps and ensure we are more than the sum of our parts.”
Prof Kevin Fenton, OHID

Professor Kevin Fenton

Regional Director for London Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

“Smoking is probably the thing that causes the most avoidable harm to our population. We made real strides 20 years ago restricting smoking in public places. But since then, we haven’t done as many big things that have made a difference. There are still a hugely significant number of people still smoking and worryingly there are a lot of pregnant women who smoke. So now is a really good time, particularly as we recover from the pandemic, to focus on things we can do to prevent harm for large numbers of people.”
Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director and CCIO at NHSE London

Chris Streather

Medical Director NHS England (London)

“The best regional programmes are in Westminster telling politicians what it is that we need to really transform the most vulnerable communities to smoking, to make sure that we can reach into every place. So, if London is really flying in five years’ time, it won’t just be leading for London, it’s going to be leading for the whole country.”
Hazel Cheeseman

Hazel Cheeseman

Chief Executive for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

“Eliminating smoking remains our single biggest opportunity to close the gap in health outcomes. Supporting people to quit smoking is the most impactful factor in improving a person’s health and quality of life and preventing premature death. Through the LTA, we have a real opportunity to tackle health inequalities and support communities most disproportionately affected by smoking and tobacco harms.”

Dr Somen Banerjee

Co-chair and Smoking Cessation Lead, London Association of Directors of Public Health

“The London Tobacco Alliance will act as a regional voice to make London smokefree by 2030 and will focus on the inequalities around smoking. We already have a number of key partners including OHID, ASH, NHS England, the GLA as well as Directors for Public Health and London Trading Standards.”
A photo of Tracy Parr

Tracy Parr

Programme Director, London Tobacco Alliance and Stop Smoking London

The London Tobacco Control Network (LTCN) is a monthly professional forum managed and organised by the London Tobacco Alliance. It brings together up to 70 local authority tobacco leads, NHS staff, and public health experts to share best practices, data insights, and innovative models to help make London smokefree by 2030. Request to join: