“It’s now hard to believe that
b ack in 1974 almost half of
adults smoked. But now an end
reall y is in sight and we have
a real opportunity to virtuall y
eliminate all the harm, misery
and death caused by smoking.”
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation,
said: “People who quit live longer and feel better, no matter
their age. However we must not be complacent. Smoking
is still the UK’s biggest cause of early preventable death.
“Approximately 100,000 people die needlessly from smoking-
related diseases every year in our hospitals – it’s time to tackle
the human and financial cost the tobacco industry creates.
“These statistics confirm that e-cigarettes are mainly
being used to help people quit. Given half of long-term
smokers die as a result of their habit, using vaping to help
someone stop smoking could literally save their life.
“A new tobacco control plan was expected to be published last year. It
is now well overdue, and must be a priority for the new government.”
The findings were revealed by the latest statical bulletin from the
ONS called “Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2016.”
The report said: “As the proportion of current smokers continues
to decline, the proportion of smokers who have quit continues
to increase.
“The prevalence of smoking among the population in Great Britain
continues to fall whilst the proportion of smokers who have quit
continues to increase. In 2016, of those aged 16 years and over who
had ever smoked cigarettes, 60.6% had quit, which was the highest
proportion of smokers who have quit since the time series began.”
The chief executive of the anti-smoking charity Ash,
Deborah Arnott, said: “One in two lifetime smokers will die
from smoking-related disease, so a fall in smoking rates of
this scale will save many thousands of lives in years to come.
“This proves that tobacco control policies work when they are part
of a comprehensive strategy and are properly funded.”
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE ISSUE 12 97