Campaign relaunch aims to help more young pregnant women quit smoking

Following a national drop in smoking during pregnancy, we are relaunching the #MumsCan campaign - a targeted initiative to support young pregnant women to stop smoking and give their babies the best possible start in life.

The relaunch comes in response to the latest NHS figures showing smoking at the time of delivery has fallen to a record low of 6.1% nationally. However, in some parts of West Yorkshire, rates remain above this average.

Deputy Medical Director Dr Sohail Abbas, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said:

“With national figures improving, now is the time to redouble our efforts locally. Smoking in pregnancy is still too high in parts of West Yorkshire. #MumsCan is a powerful campaign - designed with and for young women - and it remains ready to use.

“Smoking during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and neonatal death. It can also increase risks of low birth weight, weaker lung development and childhood illness such as asthma. Stopping smoking during pregnancy is never too late. Every day makes a real difference to the baby’s health.”

Originally launched originally in January 2023, #MumsCan was co-produced with local young women and healthcare professionals. The campaign was designed to be non-judgemental and empowering, encouraging self-belief and early access to support, while highlighting the positive influence of partners, peers and professionals in helping women quit.

Research showed that young women aged 18 to 25, particularly White British women with a partner who also smokes, are the group most likely to smoke during pregnancy in West Yorkshire. The campaign was created with this insight in mind and tailored to reflect the real barriers, motivations and experiences of this audience.

The campaign directs people to our MumsCan website pages that signposts to free, friendly, non-judgemental stop smoking services, safer alternatives and practical tools to help women quit. The site also provides campaign resources for professionals and partners to share.

All organisations across West Yorkshire - including NHS, local authorities, VCSE groups, maternity services and community teams - are encouraged to make use of the campaign assets.

This work supports our ambition for a smokefree West Yorkshire and contributes to national efforts to deliver a smokefree generation.