Tobacco

Around 10 million adults smoke cigarettes in Great Britain: this is about a quarter of the population.

However these numbers are higher in the North East with around 25 per cent of adults smoking regularly - the highest rate in England and more women than men now smoke in our region. Smoking is highest among 20-24 year olds. Almost as many young people still start smoking today but more established smokers are quitting. Smoking is now concentrated in lower socioeconomic groups with rates in routine and manual worker groups nearly double those of managerial and professional groups.

• 21 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men are now ex-smokers.

• 70 per cent of current smokers would like to quit altogether.

• The North East has the best performing NHS Stop Smoking Services in the country and in 2006/7 over 50,000 local smokers used these services with nearly half quitting smoking as a result.

• Smoke Free North East: Fresh
• Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
• Department of Health: Tobacco
• The Information Centre for Health and Social Care: Health and Lifestyle - Smoking Data
• The European Commission: Tobacco