Where are the most successful areas for quitting smoking?

A smokefree generation is now ‘within sight’, health officials say on the back of new figures showing a further drop in smoking rates. 

Data released today shows nearly 66,000 adults dropped the notoriously bad habit in the space of six months with the help of the NHS.

However, in some areas of the country as many as 85 per cent of those trying to give up were able to, while it was as low as 23 per cent in other parts.

Cumbria had the lowest rates of successful quitters, while Slough had the highest percentage across England for those were were able to quit. 

The statistics are the first to be released following the strict legislation adopted last May that was aimed at deterring people from smoking.

It suggests the Government measures, including a blanket ban on selling packs of 10 cigarettes and menthols, have helped to keep the trend downwards.  

Commenting on the new figures, Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: ‘A smokefree generation is now within sight.

‘While those smoking is overall in decline, the numbers smoking in poorer communities are much higher. 

‘Only by everyone pulling together can we hope to end the loss of life and suffering smoking has wreaked and PHE will work unceasingly to make this happen.’ 

More than 134,000 had sought help from NHS stop smoking services between April and September last year – including 1,800 teenagers. 

The free service offers smokers face-to-face help and email support in order for them to adhere to their desired quit date.

Those seeking to give up the bad habit can be given nicotine patches, gum, nasal sprays and stop-smoking tablets. E-cigarettes may be recommended.

However, the figures released by NHS Digital revealed that just under half of those who had set themselves a quit date were able to stick to it.

Some 31,000 people were lost in the system, meaning officials are unsure whether their attempts to quit smoking were successful or not.

And 36,600 were unsuccessful in their quest to stop the notoriously bad habit – which is known to directly cause cancer and heart disease. 

Estimates suggest there are around seven million smokers in England, and figures last summer showed 600,000 completely gave up the habit in 2016.

Every year smoking kills 79,000 people across the country, and for every death, another 20 have a smoking-related disease, such as cancer.

And figures also show that one person is admitted to hospital every minute due to smoking.

Smoking causes almost 90 per cent of lung cancers, and can also trigger tumours in the kidney, pancreas, mouth and stomach, among others.  

Inhaling carbon monoxide – found in cigarette smoke – also decreases the ability of blood to carry oxygen, putting a strain on the heart. 

But giving up smoking would see the blood improve, and the body become rid of the harmful poisons which cause major damage to the body.

The new NHS data follows the release of a hard-hitting TV advert before Christmas that was designed to encourage thousands of adults to quit.

It showed how poisons from the tar in cigarettes enter the bloodstream and flow through the body within seconds, damaging major organs.

Legislation that came into action last May made it illegal to sell branded cigarettes, packs of 10, small pouches of tobacco and flavoured fags in the UK.

Manufacturers were told all packets had to be the same olive green colour, with the same font, size, case and text appearance.

The move followed a ruling from the European Court of Justice which approved new rules in a bid to slash the number of smokers across the EU by 2.4 million.