End of smoking is ‘in sight’ after 2.9million take up e-cigs and number of UK smokers falls by 680,000 since 2015
The UK’s smoking rate is now Europe’s lowest — bar Sweden — with the biggest fall among people aged 18 to 24
HEALTH chiefs believe an end to smoking is “in sight” after another fall in the numbers lighting up.
The UK had 7.6 million adult smokers last year — 680,000 fewer than in 2015.
Among remaining smokers, men puffed an average 12 cigarettes a day and women 11. That is down from 18 and 14 when figures were first recorded in 1974.
The UK’s smoking rate is now Europe’s lowest bar Sweden — with the biggest fall among people aged 18 to 24, the Office of National Statistics says.
Around 2.9million people now use e-cigs, with the majority using them as an aid to quit smoking.
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Public Health England chief executive Duncan Selbie said: “It’s hard to believe that back in 1974 almost half of adults smoked.
“But now an end really is in sight and we’ve a real opportunity to virtually eliminate the harm, misery and death caused by smoking.”
Smoking, linked to lung disease and cancer, is behind about 100,000 preventable deaths per year.
Smoking rates during pregnancy fell 0.1 per cent in the last year, while maternal smoking at time of birth rose in late 2016/17 to 10.8 per cent.