Leeds health chiefs pleasantly 'surprised' by fall in smoking after lockdown limits access to support

Figures dating from last summer suggested that 18.2 per cent of adults across the city smoke, marking a slight reduction from 18.4 per cent recorded three months previously.

Although the number of smokers has fallen steadily in recent years, health officials said the new figures were unexpected because face-to-face support services had to be stopped after the first lockdown.

Over the same time period, there was 0.3 per cent fall in the number of Leeds adults classed as being obese, to 22.7 per cent.

Speaking at a health scrutiny meeting on Tuesday, the local council's executive member for health, Councillor Rebecca Charlwood, said: "We've had a very unusual year given the challenges of Covid and what that means for access to services.

"Some of the figures have changed as a result of that, but we've had some surprising outcomes which are really good.

"We've had a reduction in the number of people smoking, which is very interesting because access to Stop Smoking services in person were naturally curtailed.

"So Covid hasn't impacted that too badly."

Coun Charlwood suggested the drop in obesity levels may be partly explained by people following the government's advice to take daily exercise during the first lockdown.

The meeting was also told that many of Leeds City Council's leisure centre members had returned in droves to swimming pools and gyms when they reopened last August, and again in December after the pre-Christmas lockdown finished.

Support services for those wanting to give up smoking has also moved online.

However, Councillor Paul Truswell (Labour) expressed concern at higher levels of smoking among deprived areas of Leeds, where rates are around 29 per cent.

He also said work needed to be done to discourage younger adults from taking up cigarettes, suggesting, "The tobacco industry has always very cynically tried to recruit young people to replace (customers) who've either died, or given up."

In response, Leeds' director of public health, Victoria Eaton, said: "You're absolutely right to suggest our focus should be on deprived communities, although we have seen overall improvement in the last few years.

"We will continue to ensure that our services are targeted at the most deprived parts of the city to try to address that gap.

"But it will remain challenging post-Covid."

Local Democracy Reporting Service