More people in South Lakeland have started smoking, according to new figures

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 12.4 per cent of adults in South Lakeland smoked in 2019.

This was an increase on the year before, when 10.1 per cent of those aged 18 and over smoked.

Across England, the rate now stands at 13.9 per cent – the lowest of all four countries in the UK.

Campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the UK, and that there is a long way to go before the country is truly smoke-free.

The UK as a whole has continued to see the proportion of smokers fall every year since 2011. In 2019 a record low of 14.1 per cent was reached.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “The year-on-year decline in the proportion of people smoking has continued, so only one in seven people now smoke, the lowest ever recorded.

“But that means there are 6.9 million smokers, and smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in the UK killing nearly 100,000 people a year, with 30 times as many living with serious smoking-related diseases.

“We’ve still got a long way to go before this country is truly smoke-free.”

The ONS estimates a further 27.5 per cent of adults have quit smoking in South Lakeland.

Men were found to be more likely to smoke than women – nearly 15 per cent of males were smokers, compared to 10 per cent of females.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said England’s smoking rate is one of the best in Europe, but is still short of the Government’s plan of 12 per cent or less.