Leeds sees a drop in number of people who smoke

Campaign group Action on Smoking and Health says smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the UK, and that there is a long way to go before the country is truly smoke-free.

The Office for National Statistics estimates 15.3% of adults in Leeds smoked in 2019.

Smoking rates have fallen in the area from 2018, when 18.2% of those aged 18 and over smoked.

Throughout the UK, the proportion of smokers has fallen every year since 2011, reaching a record low of 14.1% in 2019.

Across England, the rate now stands at 13.9% – the lowest of all four countries in the UK.

But anti-smoking charity ASH said there are "enormous differences" across the country when it comes to smoking habits.

In Corby, in the East Midlands, 27.5% of adults were smokers in 2019, compared to just 3.4% in Hart, in the South East.

"But that means there are 6.9 million smokers, and smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the UK killing nearly 100,000 people a year, with 30 times as many living with serious smoking-related diseases.

"We’ve still got a long way to go before this country is truly smoke-free.”

The ONS estimates a further 23.7% of adults have quit smoking in Leeds, with the remaining 61.1% saying they had never done so.

Men were more likely to smoke than women – 17.8% of males were smokers, compared to 12.8% of females.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said England's smoking rate of 13.9% is one of the best in Europe, but is still short of the government's 2017 Tobacco control plan of 12% or less.

She added: "The UK is recognised internationally for its tough regulatory approach on tobacco control and reducing smoking harms.

“However, we are not complacent and our ambition is for England to become a smoke-free society by 2030.”

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