There has been a five per cent increase in the number of smoking-related hospital admissions in 10 years. However, the number of people dying from the habit has dropped.

According to the latest figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), 475,000 people were admitted to hospital because of a smoking-related illness in 2014/15 – a rise of 23,000 since 2004/05. During the same timeframe, deaths attributable to smoking declined from 89,000 to 78,000.

The Statistics on Smoking, England 2016 report revealed regional variations, with the highest estimated rate of smoking-related mortality occurring in Manchester, and the lowest in Harrow. It also showed that average daily cigarette consumption among smokers has dropped to an all-time low of 11 cigarettes a day, and that tobacco was 27 per cent less affordable in 2015 compared with 2005.