Smoking is back in style - but the risk of lung cancer hasn’t gone anywhere

From The Bear to Bridgerton, fashion shoots to social media, smoking is being styled as nostalgic, chic, and even aspirational again.

But let’s be clear: behind the aesthetic lies a huge challenge to public health.

Smoking is still one of the country’s biggest killers and is the leading cause of lung cancer - responsible for 86% of deaths. In the UK, it contributes to over 500,000 hospital admissions and 80,000 deaths annually. Globally, it kills 8 million people every year, that’s more than COVID-19 in its worst year.

And yet, the cultural tide is shifting. For younger generations raised with vaping, cigarettes can now feel ‘retro’. As the Guardian described it, cigarettes are seen as a ‘soft rebellion against polished perfection’.

What’s the harm in a little rebellion?

Quite a lot, actually.

Every time smoking is glamorised, it chips away at years of public health progress. It risks derailing the UK Government’s 2030 target to become smoke-free - a goal that, frankly, we’re already in danger of missing, as smoking slips down the public health agenda.

I know how hard it is to quit. I smoked for over 20 years, tried everything, and failed. That frustration led me to build Smoke Free, a digital support app that’s now offered for free via the NHS and has helped nearly 1 million people worldwide quit smoking. This year alone, we’ll help 25,000 more in the UK – and potentially save the NHS over £150m in future treatment costs.

Quitting is one of the most impactful health decisions a person can make. But willpower alone doesn’t work. Behavioural science does. The Smoke Free app provides round-the-clock support, personalised quit plans, digital therapies and data-driven insights to give people the tools they need to quit for good.

The idea that you can ‘decide’ to stop and walk away is a myth - one that sets people up to fail. Most smokers want to quit. They just aren’t getting the right help at the right time.

Cities like Manchester are showing what’s possible. In five years, they’ve prevented 43 million cigarettes from being smoked, saving £20m in public costs. We need to scale that kind of impact quickly, especially when the cultural winds are gusting in the opposite direction, however temporarily.

On World Lung Cancer Day, let’s not let glamourised cigarette smoke cloud our judgement. Smoking is back in style, perhaps - but the risk of lung cancer hasn’t gone anywhere. With the exception of tobacco manufacturers, we are all served to remain clear about the causes and the choices.

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Dr David Crane is the Founder & CEO of Smoke Free.

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