In News

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

Smoking rates in England and Wales have fallen to an all-time low, shows Government data, while record numbers took part in last month's Stoptober campaign. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the percentage of smokers in England and Wales has hit a record low, with 18.4 per cent of the population smoking in 2013, a drop of 1.1 per cent compared to 2012. Despite the overall drop, the findings highlighted a north/side divide in smoking prevalence, with 20.3 per cent of people living in Yorkshire and The Humber still lighting up, compared with 17.2 per cent in the south east.

The news coincides with the announcement from Public Health England (PHE) that over a quarter of a million people signed up for this year's Stoptober challenge. Kevin Fenton, national director of health and wellbeing at PHE, said: €The success of mass quit attempts, such as Stoptober, show that a tobacco-free generation is now within sight.€