A crackdown to eliminate smoking from Britain by 2030 is being planned by the government, leaked documents reportedly show.

The target will be officially unveiled next week when it is announced in parliament by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Tobacco companies rather than health providers will allegedly be made to cover the cost of helping people to quit smoking, according to the leaked documents seen by the Daily Mail.

Quit leaflets will be placed inside cigarette packets, the newspaper reported, and black market cigarettes would also be targeted.

Image: Scotland has the highest number of smokers in the UK

The details are contained in a Green Paper - a preliminary policy plan published by the government.


It will reportedly warn that "there's still much to do" to convert the 15% of adults who are not smoke-free to "finish the job".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "I'm afraid we can't comment on leaks."

Smoking remains the UK's biggest preventable cause of cancer.

Around 5.9 million people smoked cigarettes in 2018 - 14.4% of the population - the latest figures analysed by NHS Digital show.

That is down from 7.7 million in 2011 (19.8%).

Image: 6.3% of adults vaped in 2018, according to the NHS

Scotland has the highest number of smokers followed by Wales, Northern Ireland and then England.

E-cigarette use continues to rise, with 6.3% of adults vaping in 2018, up from 5.5% the previous year.

Simon Clark, director of smokers' group Forest, said people have the right to light up "without being harassed to quit".

"It's not up to government to dictate people's lifestyle," he said.

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Mr Hancock revealed his "vision for prevention" in November 2018, which at the time had the aim of adding five years to the healthy life expectancy of UK residents.

The unveiling of a Green Paper containing details of the government strategy has been repeatedly delayed, but is expected to take place next week.