Publication, Part of Statistics on Public Health
Statistics on Public Health, England 2021
Official statistics, National statistics, Accredited official statistics
Part 5: Other data sources
1. General additional data sources
There are a number of data sources that are available that include all or partial combinations of alcohol, drug misuse, obesity and smoking information:
Health at a Glance (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD))
Health at a Glance presents a set of key indicators of health status, determinants of health, health care resources and activities, quality of care, health expenditure and financing in OECD countries.
https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance-europe/
Health Survey for England (NHS Digital)
The Health Survey for England series was designed to monitor trends in the nation’s health, to estimate the proportion of people in England who have specified health conditions, and to estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors and combinations of risk factors associated with these conditions. The surveys provide regular information that cannot be obtained from other sources on a range of aspects concerning the public’s health and many of the factors that affect health.
Each survey in the series includes core questions and measurements (such as blood pressure, height and weight, and analysis of blood and saliva samples), as well as modules of questions on topics that vary from year to year.
The Health Survey for England has been carried out since 1993 and is a National Statistic.
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england
Scottish Health Survey (Scottish Government)
The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) provides a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population in private households and is designed to make a major contribution to the monitoring of health in Scotland.
https://www.gov.scot/collections/scottish-health-survey/
Welsh Health Survey (Welsh Government)
The Welsh Health Survey (WHS) provides information on health status, illnesses, lifestyle, health service use of people living in Wales.
https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/Welsh-Health-Survey
Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England (NHS Digital)
Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Survey among Young People is a survey of secondary school children in England which provides the national estimates of the proportions of young people in school years 7 to 11 (who are mostly aged 11 to 15) who smoke, drink alcohol or take illicit drugs.
The first survey in the series was carried out in 1982 and since 1998 the survey has included questions on drinking and drug use as well as smoking.
As well as these core measures, questionnaires since 2000 have included more detailed questions, with the focus alternating between smoking and drinking in one year and drug use the next. The survey became biennial from 2014 onwards.
SDD reports are National Statistics.
2. Alcohol
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provide national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. This includes products on alcohol, including any guidance, NICE Pathways and quality standards.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/lifestyle-and-wellbeing/alcohol
Research and analysis series (Home Office)
The Home Office conducts research on alcohol, drugs, and antisocial behaviour to support policy development and operational activity.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-research-and-analysis
Alcohol-specific deaths
Office for National Statistics (ONS)
The ONS provides data by sex, age, region and deprivation for alcohol-specific deaths caused by diseases known to be a direct consequence of alcohol misuse. The definition is primarily based on chronic (longer-term) conditions associated with continued misuse of alcohol and, to a lesser extent, acute (immediate) conditions.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
The OHID provides local authority level estimates for both alcohol-specific and alcohol-related deaths. Alcohol-related deaths also include diseases where only a proportion of the deaths were caused by alcohol (such as cancers of the mouth, oesophagus and liver) and so are higher than the ONS figures for alcoholic specific deaths.
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles
Drinking behaviours among adults
There is a range of information available on drinking behaviours among adults including drinking prevalence, consumption and trends among different groups of society and geographical areas.
National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) (OHID)
NDTMS provides information on the number of people being treated for alcohol problems.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-and-treatment-statistics
Adult drinking habits in Great Britain (ONS)
This report provided annual data for Great Britain on teetotalism, drinking in the week before survey interview, frequent drinking and units drunk, including analysis by sex, age and socioeconomic status. This series has been discontinued and the most recent available data is from 2017.
Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England (NHS Digital)
The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) series includes prevalence estimates of hazardous and harmful drinking and of alcohol dependence in the adult general population. The survey is not run annually and the most recent available data is from 2014.
Alcohol Change UK
This charity seeks to help people through information and guidance and to help health professionals through training, projects and research. Their website contains statistics on alcohol and links to further reading.
Drinkaware
Drinkaware is an independent charity supported by voluntary donations from the drinks industry and from major UK supermarkets. They work to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK. Their website contains facts about alcohol including drinking habits and behaviours and the impact on health.
Alcohol support (nhs.uk)
This website provides information the effects of binge drinking and tips on reducing alcohol intake and the associated health benefits.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/
eLearning for Healthcare (Health Education England)
This is an online learning resource for healthcare and social care professionals working to reduce alcohol-related harm.
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/alcohol/
Infant Feeding Survey (NHS Digital)
The Infant Feeding Survey (IFS) covers the population of new mothers in the United Kingdom and includes information on the drinking behaviours of women before, during and after pregnancy.
This survey was last run in 2010 and the series has now been discontinued.
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/infant-feeding-survey
Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include an indicator on the harmful use of alcohol consumption.
Drinking behaviours among children
Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey
The Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey provides data on the mental health of 6 to 23 year olds including alcohol use.
European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs
The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) provides an overview of trends in substance use among 15–16 year-old European students and covers most of the European continent.
The most recent survey was in 2015.
Road casualties involving illegal alcohol levels
Road accidents and safety statistics (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport provides estimates of casualties arising from reported accidents involving at least one motor vehicle driver, or rider, over the legal alcohol limit for driving in Great Britain.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics
3. Drug Misuse
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance, advice, NICE Pathways and quality standards on drug misuse.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/health-protection/drug-misuse
United Kingdom drug situation: Focal Point annual report (Public Health England)
Annual report and data tables from the UK Focal Point on Drugs on the national prevalence, impact, prevention and treatment of drug use.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-drug-situation-focal-point-annual-report
A summary of the health harms of drugs (DHSC)
This essential guide for drug and treatment professionals provides the most up to date scientific evidence on the health harms arising from drug misuse.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-summary-of-the-health-harms-of-drugs
Drug use among adults
Alcohol and drug treatment statistics (Public Health England)
PHE’s National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) records information about people receiving tier 3 or 4 treatment for drug misuse in England (i.e. structured community-based services, or residential inpatient services), in order to monitor and assist the management of progress towards the Government targets for participation in drug treatment programmes.
Data are provided separately for adults, young people and prisons and secure settings and are National Statistics.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-and-treatment-statistics
European drug report – trends and developments (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction)
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) provides an annual statistical bulletin containing the most recent available data on the drug situation in Europe provided by the Member States.
https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/data/stats2023_en
Crime Survey for England and Wales (Office for National Statistics)
This is an annual statistical release that examines the extent of, and trends in, illicit drug use among a nationally representative sample of 16 to 59 year olds resident in households in England and Wales.
The release covers the following topics:
- Extent and trends in illicit drug use among adults, including separate analysis of young adults (16 to 24 year olds)
- Frequency of illicit drug use in the last year
- Illicit drug use by personal, household and area characteristics and lifestyle factors
- Use of new psychoactive substances (NPS)
- Perceived acceptability of use of and ease of obtaining illicit substances
- Drug use within generations over time (a pseudo-cohort analysis)
Crime Survey for England and Wales data are National Statistics.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-misuse-declared
Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (NHS Digital)
The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorders in the adult population of England. Topics covered include the prevalence and trends in drug misuse and in signs of dependence
The most recent survey was in 2014 and are National Statistics.
Drug drive (Department for Transport)
Drug Drive has been set up as part of THINK! road safety, from the Department of Transport, to provide information on how different drugs can impair driving.
Drug use among young people
FRANK
FRANK is a national drug education service jointly established by the Department of Health and Home Office in 2003. It is intended to reduce the use of both legal and illegal drugs by educating teenagers and adolescents about the potential effects of drugs and alcohol. It also includes a glossary of names given to different drugs including slang terms.
European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs
The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) provides an overview of trends in substance use among 15–16 year-old European students and covers most of the European continent.
The most recent survey was in 2015.
Drug seizures
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales (Home Office)
This annual statistical release provide figures for seizures of drugs made by local police forces and the UK Border Force. The data relate to all drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Drug seizure data are National Statistics.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales
4. Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance, advice, NICE Pathways and quality standards on Obesity.
Diet
The Eatwell Guide (Public Health England)
The Eatwell Guide is a policy tool used to define government recommendations on eating healthily and achieving a balanced diet.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide
Family Food (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA))
Family Food is an annual publication which provides detailed statistical information on purchased quantities, expenditure and nutrient intakes derived from both household and eating out food and drink. Data is collected for a sample of households in the United Kingdom using self-reported diaries of all purchases, including food eaten out, over a two-week period. Where possible, quantities are recorded in the diaries but otherwise estimated. Energy and nutrient intakes are calculated using standard nutrient composition data for each of some 500 types of food. Current estimates are based on data collected in the ‘Family Food Module of the Living Costs and Food Survey’.
The Family Food publication is a National Statistic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-food-statistics
National Diet and Nutrition Survey (Public Health England)
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is designed to assess the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population aged 1½ years and over living in private households in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is an independent government department responsible for food safety and hygiene across the UK. They work with businesses to help them produce safe food, and with local authorities to enforce food safety regulations.
http://www.food.gov.uk/
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
SACN advises on nutrition and related health matters. It advises Public Health England (PHE) and other UK government organisations.
https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-committee-on-nutrition
Physical Activity
Active Lives Surveys (Sport England)
The Active Lives Surveys (ALS) published by Sport England provide information on participation in sport and recreation. There are separate surveys for children and adults. The surveys classify activity level into active, fairly active and inactive based on the number of minutes of moderate intensity equivalent (MIE) physical activity.
The Active Lives Survey publication is an Official Statistic.
https://www.sportengland.org/know-your-audience/data/active-lives
National Travel Survey (Department for Transport)
The National Travel Survey is a household survey of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain. This is a long-term survey that began in 1988, with data collected annually in two ways: from an interview with household members, and from trip diaries which respondents keep for 7-day period. All trips, stages and distance statistics are based on the trip diary. In 2016, around 7,000 households and 18,000 individuals took part.
Data from the National Travel Survey feeds into the report ‘Walking and cycling statistics, England’ also produced by the Department for Transport. This presents information on walking and cycling in England.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/walking-and-cycling-statistics#history
The National Travel Survey is a National Statistic.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-travel-survey-statistics
Taking Part Survey (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport)
The Taking Part survey has been in place for many years as DCMS’s flagship survey, collecting data on how adults and children engage with our sectors. It is a nationally representative face to face survey, with a longitudinal web panel for a subset of interviewees.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/taking-part-survey
Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) (Natural England)
The MENE survey provides trend data for how people experience the natural environment in England.
Physical Education (PE) and Sport Survey (Department for Education)
This research aimed to measure the take-up of 3-hours of high-quality PE and out-of-hours school sport in a typical week.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pe-and-sport-survey
Physical activity guidelines (UK Chief Medical Officers)
Physical activity guidelines have been provided by the Chief Medical Officers in the UK on the amount and type of physical activity people should be doing to improve their health.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/physical-activity-guidelines
Physical Activity tool (Public Health England)
The Physical Activity tool is part of a series of products produced by Public Health England providing local data alongside national comparisons to support local health improvement.
The tool brings together data for the whole of England on physical activity, including walking and cycling, as well as data on related risk factors and conditions such as obesity and diabetes. The tool presents data at local level to help promote physical activity, develop understanding, and support benchmarking, commissioning and service improvement.
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/physical-activity
The Public Health England Obesity website (formerly the National Obesity Observatory) provides a single point of contact for wide-ranging authoritative information on data, evaluation, evidence and research related to weight status and its determinants. They work closely with a wide range of organisations and provide support to policy makers and practitioners involved in obesity and related issues.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/phe-data-and-analysis-tools#obesity-diet-and-physical-activity
Overweight and obesity
National Child Measurement Programme (NHS Digital)
Established in 2005/06, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for England records height and weight measurements of children in state-maintained schools in reception (aged 4–5 years) and year 6 (aged 10–11 years). However, 2006/07 is the first year that the data were considered an acceptable quality although obesity prevalence for year 6 children between 2006/07 and 2008/09 is felt to be an underestimate due to low participation. The programme provides robust data for the child excess weight indicators in the Public health Outcomes Framework, and is a key element of the Government’s approach to tackling child obesity.
Public Health England (PHE) has responsibility for national oversight of the programme, and on its behalf, the central collation and analysis of the NCMP data is coordinated by NHS Digital. Local Authorities have a statutory responsibility to deliver the National Child Measurement Programme.
The National Child Measurement Programme is a National Statistic.
https://digital.nhs.uk/services/national-child-measurement-programme
Child Measurement Programme for Wales (Public Health Wales)
The Child Measurement Programme (CMP) for Wales contains findings of the programme of child measurements carried out with children attending reception class in schools in Wales.
https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/child-measurement-programme/
Annual Reports of the Chief Medical Officer
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) annual reports present information or ‘surveillance’ about the health of England’s population to the government. The CMO may give recommendations to government, and individual organisations, to make improvements to the public health system.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/chief-medical-officer-annual-reports
Obesity prevention: clinical guideline (NICE)
The guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) covers preventing children, young people and adults becoming overweight or obese. It outlines how the NHS, local authorities, early years’ settings, schools and workplaces can increase physical activity levels and make dietary improvements among their target populations.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg43/resources/obesity-prevention-pdf-975445344709
Tackling obesities: future choices (Government Office for Science and Department of Health and Social Care)
This project looked at how we can implement a sustainable response to obesity in the UK over the next 40 years. It gathered scientific evidence from across a wide range of disciplines to inform a strategic view of this issue.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tackling-obesities-future-choices
Tackling Obesity in England (National Audit Office)
National Audit Office (NAO) research identified wide variation in the way general practices manage overweight and obese patients, and uncertainty about which treatment and referral options were the most effective.
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/tackling-obesity-in-england/
Association for the Study of Obesity
The Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) was founded in 1967 and is the UK's foremost charitable organisation dedicated to the understanding and treatment of obesity.
National Obesity Forum
The National Obesity Forum is a charity which was formed in 2000 with the remit of raising awareness of obesity in the UK and promoting the ways in which it can be addressed. This includes public-facing initiatives and the training of clinicians and healthcare professionals on how to identify and address weight management issues and obesity. The National Obesity Forum campaign to raise public awareness of obesity and the ways it can be tackled through achievable and manageable lifestyle changes.
http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/
OECD Health Statistics (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
The OECD health statistics database provides international comparisons of obesity prevalence.
https://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/health-data.htm
World Obesity Federation
The World Obesity Federation represents professional members of the scientific, medical and research communities from over 50 regional and national obesity associations. Through their membership they create a global community of organisations dedicated to solving the problems of obesity. They aim to lead and drive global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity.
World Health Organisation (WHO)
The WHO Global Health Observatory database provides both national and sub-national adult underweight, overweight and obesity prevalence rates by country, year of survey and gender.
5. Smoking
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
NICE has taken on the functions of the Health Development Agency to create a single excellence-in-practice organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health. This includes the smoking.
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/lifestyle-and-wellbeing/smoking-and-tobacco
World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control (FCTC)
In May 2003, the member countries of the World Health Organization adopted an historic tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to set internationally agreed minimum standards on tobacco control and to ensure international cooperation on matters such as the illegal trade of tobacco. In November 2022 the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) became the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC).
World Health Organisation (WHO)
The WHO Global Health Observatory database is the WHO's main health statistics repository and includes a section on tobacco control.
https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/theme-details/GHO/tobacco-control
Tobacco Statistics (Northern Ireland)
In February 2012, the Department of Health (DoH) published the '10 year tobacco control strategy for Northern Ireland', the overall aim of which is to create a tobacco free society. The strategy has three key objectives:
- fewer people smoking,
- more smokers quitting, and
- protection for all from secondhand smoke.
This web page looks at trends in smoking prevalence, people's attitudes towards smoking including smoking in the home and in family cars, and attitudes towards smoke-free legislation. Data on persons seeking help to quit at smoking cessation services are also included.
Smoking in Adults
Adult smoking habits in the United Kingdom (Office for National Statistics)
The data in this report are collected from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) and Annual Population Survey (APS). It examines cigarette smoking among adults aged 16+ for OPN and aged 18+ for APS, including demographic breakdowns, changes over time, and e-cigarette usage. It includes data for the UK and its constituent countries and is a National Statistic.
Local Tobacco Control Profiles for England (Public Health England)
The Local Tobacco Control Profiles for England provides a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations. They will inform commissioning and planning decisions to tackle tobacco use and improve the health of local communities. The tool allows users to compare one local authority against other local authorities in the region and also compare to the England or regional average.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-tobacco-control-profiles-for-england
Smoking at the Time of Delivery (NHS Digital)
Smoking during pregnancy can cause serious pregnancy-related health problems. These include complications during labour and an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, still birth, low birth-weight and sudden unexpected death in infancy.
Reducing smoking during pregnancy is one of the three national ambitions in the Tobacco Control Plan published in March 2017, which is “to reduce rates of smoking throughout pregnancy to 6 per cent or less by the end of 2022 (measured at time of giving birth)”.
This data collection is designed to provide a measure of the prevalence of smoking among women at the time of giving birth at a local level and is an Official Statistic.
Smokefree Great Britain survey (Action on Smoking and Health)
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a health charity working to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco use. They produce several statistical reports and fact sheets. They also run the annual Smokefree Great Britain survey, from which information on the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporisers was presented in the ‘Use of e-cigarettes (vaporisers) among adults in Great Britain’ factsheet.
This data is not an Official/National Statistic.
This and other ASH smoking resources are available.
Stop Smoking Services (NHS Digital)
NHS Stop Smoking Services (formerly known as Smoking Cessation Services) provide counselling and support to smokers wanting to quit, complementing the use of stop smoking aids Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), Bupropion (Zyban) and Varenicline (Champix).
The establishment and development of Stop Smoking Services in the NHS is an important element of the government’s strategy to tackle smoking. Monitoring of the NHS Stop Smoking Services is carried out via quarterly monitoring returns. The quarterly reports present provisional results from the monitoring of the NHS Stop Smoking Services, until the release of the annual bulletin when all quarterly figures are confirmed. This publication is an Official Statistic.
NHS Smoking Helpline
Information and help on quitting smoking is available from the NHS Smoking Helpline: 0800 169 0 169.
Smoke-free Action
Provides information relating to smoke-free legislation.
Smoking Toolkit Study (STS)
The STS tracks national smoking patterns and cessation-related behaviour, and involves monthly interviews of approximately 1,800 adults aged 16 and over in England. This data is not an Official/National Statistic.
Smoking Affordability and Expenditure
Family spending in the UK (Office for National Statistics)
An insight into the spending habits of UK households, broken down by household characteristics and types of spending. The report considers expenditure by UK constituent country and English region.
Tobacco tax statistics (HM Revenue & Customs)
Data on the availability of tobacco is provided in UK Tobacco Duty Statistics which covers duty on cigarettes, cigars, hand rolling tobacco (HRT) and other types of tobacco such as pipe and chewing tobacco.
Data on the illicit tobacco market is provided Tobacco tax gap estimates reports which presents estimates of the tax gap for tobacco products. The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should be collected against what is actually collected.
Tobacco Control (Chartered Trading Standards Institute)
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has produced various reports relating to its activities around tobacco sales, often in conjunction with Public Health England and/or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Last edited: 1 December 2023 1:50 pm