Views on Smoking from those Working in Routine and Manual Job Roles

Between June - August 2025, we carried out a project to hear from people working in routine and manual jobs across Derbyshire and Derby City.

Rotuine and manual workers could include people working in:

• Warehouses
• Care work
• Engineering
• Construction
• People who work in offices
• Catering

We wanted to understand their smoking habits, their reasons for smoking, their views on messaging about stopping smoking, and their awareness of local free stop smoking services. The aim was to gather insights to shape targeted stop-smoking campaigns, led by Diva Creative in Autumn 2025.

Key findings:

• Many workers said they want to stop smoking, with the main reasons being to improve their health, save money, and protect their families
• Most people were unaware they could access free quit-smoking products directly through local services, without needing to see a GP
• Smoking was often linked to stress, habit, and routine, with many saying it gave them a break at work or helped them cope with life pressures
• Positive, benefit-focused messaging (such as health improvements or saving money) was preferred over negative or 'fear-based' campaigns
• Barriers to quitting included lack of information about services, cost of quit aids, shift work patterns, and mental health challenges
• Some workers suggested peer support at work - such as a “quit buddy” or wellbeing champion, would help them feel less isolated when trying to stop

Feedback from workers is being shared with local public health teams, NHS services, and Diva Creative to shape upcoming messaging and to improve stop smoking support in Derbyshire.

‍