Smokers using lockdown to quit the habit

The proportion of people who have successfully quit smoking is at its highest in more than a decade, new figures show.

New data shows that there has been an increase of almost two thirds in the quitting success rate, rising from 14% to 23%, the highest since at least 2007.

There has also been a surge in smokers trying to quit–increasing by 22% from 2019 – with experts saying that attitudes have been changed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) calculates that over a million people in the UK stopped smoking during the lockdown period.

Scott Crosby, tobacco control programme manager at Public Health England, said: "We know that the pandemic has affected many of our lives.

"Obviously being in lockdown with family and friends and not being able to socialise has increased the importance to people of their personal health.

Mr Crosby added :" It' s brought it to the top of the todo list."

It comes as health organisations including Ash, the British Lung Foundation, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK have backed the Stoptober campaign calling for more people to quit smoking.

Stoptober challenges people to give up smoking for 28 days, making them five times more likely to quit for good, according to research.

Mr Crosby said: "We've got a viral respiratory disease at the moment and what you can do to help protect your health and boost your immune system is to quit smoking.

"That's the biggest thing you can do for your health at any time, never mind during a pandemic."