England won’t be entirely cigarette free until after 2050, new research suggests, writes Zoe Drewett for Metro. Some areas will go ‘smoke free’ sooner than others as experts call for more to be done to help smokers kick the habit.
Bristol, Wokingham and York to be the first parts of England to go smoke free in mid 2020s but people in North Lincolnshire, Derby and Cheshire are expected to still be smoking beyond 2050.
The research, conducted by Frontier Economics and commissioned by Philip Morris Limited, found major divides in the predicted rate of decline in different parts of the country, but predicts nearly a quarter of England will have stopped smoking before 2030.
Deprived areas have a higher rate of smokers, the study found, with the three areas with the highest rates of smoking Kingston upon Hull, Blackpool and North Lincolnshire.
Researchers suggest the number of smokers using NHS Stop Smoking services and switching to e-cigarettes needs to increase if communities are to go smoke free faster.
Mark MacGregor, UK Corporate Affairs Director of PML, said: ‘Our business is committed to going smoke free as fast as possible and ultimately stopping selling cigarettes altogether. What this research reveals is the huge variations in the decline in smoking in different parts of the country.
‘We want to play our part in working with local businesses, retailers and councils in the areas with highest smoking rates. ‘It is not going to be easy getting smokers in these areas to stop. ‘One of the keys to success will be ensuring they understand that there are more alternative options than ever that can help them give up cigarettes for good.’
The new figures are detailed on a website launched by PML – www.lastsmoke.co.uk – which presents ONS data for postcode areas through an interactive tool.
The Last Smoke website also includes other proposals that could accelerate the end of cigarettes in the country. These include more independent research into smoking alternatives, targeted government campaigns through school and social media to stop smoking in the first place and tackling the trade in illicit cigarettes by taking tougher action against criminal gangs.
[link url="https://metro.co.uk/2018/09/11/england-wont-be-cigarette-free-until-after-2050-7932459/"]Report on the Metro site[/link]