Thousands of people are believed to have given up cigarette smoking in Brighton and Hove as a growing number switch to vapes.
Smokers accounted for about 13.7 per cent of the adult population of Brighton and Hove last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The figure was above the UK average of 13.3 per cent – but it was a big drop from the 2020 estimate for Brighton and Hove when 17.4 per cent were believed to smoke.
It continues a downward trend locally and nationally – with the percentage of smokers in Brighton and Hove estimated to have been more than 20 per cent as recently as 2015.
The latest decrease is a much bigger drop than the national average which fell from 14 per cent to 13.3 per cent.
Out of 378 local authority areas, Brighton and Hove had the 153rd highest proportion of smokers.
There are estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000 smokers in Brighton and Hove.
The number who have given up tobacco locally since 2020 is estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 adults.
The figure are not believed to take into account the numbers who smoke cannabis or other substances.
Fenland has the highest proportion of smokers in the UK – an estimated 27.8 per cent, up from 22.8 per cent.
Hastings was the second highest, with 25.8 per cent, up from 17 per cent, while 19.2 per cent smoke in Crawley, the 22nd highest, down 24.9 per cent.
Worthing had the 29th highest proportion, with 18.6 per cent, up from 17.5 per cent, while Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, had the lowest proportion, 3.2 per cent, down from 13.1 per cent.
Vaping is on the increase. The ONS said that in Great Britain 7.7 per cent of those aged 16 and over surveyed in August and September last year said that they used an e-cigarette daily or occasionally, equating to around four million adults.
This is up from 2020, when 6.4 per cent of people reported daily or occasional e-cigarette use.
The ONS said that vaping devices such as e-cigarettes had played a “major role” in reducing the prevalence of smoking across the UK.
It added that the proportion of vapers was highest among current cigarette smokers (25.3 per cent) and ex-cigarette smokers (15 per cent), with only 1.5 per cent of people who have never smoked reporting that they currently vape.
But it added that tobacco control policies, such as increased public awareness campaigns and smoke-free places, may have also contributed to decreased smoking prevalence.
The government’s tobacco control plan aims to reduce smoking prevalence among adults in England to 12 per cent or less by the end of this year.
ONS expert James Tucker said: “This year, we have reported 13.3 per cent of adults aged 18 years and over in the UK were smokers in 2021. This is a decrease from 14 per cent in 2020.
“This is the lowest proportion of current smokers since 2011 when we began recording smoking prevalence.
“The decrease in the proportion of current smokers may be partly attributed to the increase in vaping and e-cigarette use.
“Data from the opinions and lifestyle survey have shown regular use of a vaping device has increased in 2021 and the highest usage was among those aged 16 to 24 years.”
Men were more likely to be smokers in the latest data, according to the ONS, with 15.1 per cent of men smoking compared with 11.5 per cent of women in the UK.
People aged 25 to 34 years had the highest proportion of current smokers at 15.8 per cent, the ONS said, while those aged 65 and over had the lowest at 8 per cent.
The ONS said that people who had no qualifications were more likely to be current smokers at 28.2 per cent compared with those whose highest level of education was a degree or equivalent at 6.6 per cent.
Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “Smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable illness and death so the progress shown is great news. But the government must not be complacent.
“They first promised to publish a new tobacco control plan for England in 2021 but we still have seen no plan for how they will meet that goal. Without one we will not meet the vision of being smoke-free by 2030.”
Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said that councils can help deliver the ambition of eliminating smoking in England by 2030 but needed certainty over long-term funding.
He said: “Council public health teams work hard to help reduce smoking rates and it is testament to their efforts that smoking rates continue to fall.
“Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in England. Every day more than 200 people in England die from smoking and 280 children under 16 have their first cigarette.
“Two thirds of those smoking one cigarette will go on to become addicted, taking on average 30 attempts before they successfully quit.
“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.
“Greater help is needed for those most in need of support, including routine and manual workers, pregnant women or people with mental health conditions.”
