Fewer people in Ashfield are smoking

Office for National Statistics figures recorded the lowest proportion of smokers in the UK to date, with e-cigarettes playing a “major role” in the decline.

The ONS data shows 10.4 per cent of people aged over 18 in Ashfield were smokers in 2021, down from 13.9 per cent the year before and 21.1 per cent five years ago.

Last year, a further 29 per cent of adults in the area were ex-smokers, while 60.6 per cent had never smoked.

Women in Ashfield smoked more than men, with 3.6 per cent taking up cigarettes, while 16.6 per cent of men smoked.

Hazel Cheeseman, Action on Smoking and Health deputy chief executive, welcomed the overall fall in smoking levels, but said the Government must not become “complacent”.

She said, without a new tobacco plan from the Government, “the vision of being smoke free by 2030” will not be met.

The current tobacco control plan aims to reduce smoking prevalence among adults in England to 12 per cent or less by the end of 2022.

Regionally, 13.4 per cent of adults in the East Midlands were smokers with those aged from 35-44 making up the highest proportion of smokers, at 17.9 per cent.

Across the UK, 13.3 per cent of adults smoked cigarettes in 2021, down from 14 per cent last year and 20.2 per cent a decade ago.

The ONS said the increase in people taking up e-cigarettes has played a “major role” in the fall, with a separate survey finding 7.7 per cent of those aged 16 and over in Britain last year used an e-cigarette daily or occasionally, up from 6.2 per cent in 2020.

The survey found the proportion of vapers was highest among current cigarette smokers, at 24.6 per cent, and ex-cigarette smokers, 14.8 per cent, with only 1.7 per cent of people who have never smoked reporting they vaped.

David Fothergill, Local Government Association community wellbeing board chairman, said councils can help deliver the ambition of eliminating smoking in England by 2030, but needed certainty over long-term funding.

He said: “Reducing smoking rates among the remaining 5.4 million smokers in England is the single biggest thing we can do to improve the nation’s health.”