On 1 July 2007 smoking will be banned from most enclosed public places and workplaces in England, with fines for people who break the law.1 The government of the United Kingdom estimates that this will result in a fall of 1.7 percentage points in the prevalence of smoking in England and an estimated annual saving of £100m (€147m; $200m) to the National Health Service.2

National legislation inevitably puts pressure on local health services to deliver its promises. Yet timely and reliable information to help implement and monitor public health policies like smoking cessation is not always easy to find. Public health information exists in many forms in disparate locations. The UK government recognises the lack of a comprehensive collection of …