Young women ignore the health warnings and take up smoking

Young women are bucking a nationwide trend toward giving up smoking, with the proportion who light up rising for the first time in nearly ten years.

Some 21 per cent of women aged between 16 and 34 smoke cigarettes, according to latest figures from the office for national Statistics (onS), a rise from 20 per cent a year earlier.

The increase flies in the face of health campaigns and efforts to curb smoking.

The increase was steepest among women aged between 25 and 34, where the proportion of smokers rose from 20.4 per cent to 21.8. Smoking among young women had been declining steadily since 2008, when 27 per cent of women lit up regularly.

The figures, for 2014, show that smoking among men aged between 25 and 34 fell sharply from 30.3 per cent to 26.5. The figure for men aged 16–34 was down from 28 per cent to 26. overall, one in five men in Britain smokes. This compares with half of them in 1974 when current records began.

The figure for women is one in six, down from just over a third 40 years ago.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said of the statistics: ‘It is certainly worrying that more young women are taking up smoking.

‘The introduction of drab standardised packaging from May this year should help tackle this, but more efforts are still needed.’

She added: ‘It is encouraging that the number of adult smokers is the lowest on record, but we can’t be complacent.

‘Smoking cessation services - the most effective way of helping people quit - are under threat around the country due to budget cuts. If we want to continue helping people to quit and look after their lung health, investment in these vital services must be protected.’

The statistics also show that more than two million people in Britain now use electronic cigarettes, although 59 per cent smoke regular cigarettes as well. Just over half (53 per cent) of e- cigarette users said they used vaping as an aid to quitting regular smoking.

The data suggests there are 3.9million people who are former users of e-cigarettes and a further 2.6million people said they had tried an e- cigarette but never went on to use it.

Just over one in five (22 per cent) of current users said their main reason for vaping is because they feel e- cigarettes are less harmful.

Professor Kevin Fenton, national director of health and well- being at Public Health England, said: ‘There are over a million ex-smokers using an e- cigarette in Britain and we need to provide those who continue to smoke with accurate, balanced information on different quitting methods.

‘Emerging evidence indicates that when the right e- cigarette product is used with the right support, e-cigarettes can be effective in helping smokers to quit.’

Senior onS statistician Jamie Jenkins added: ‘These figures continue a long-term trend for fewer people to smoke cigarettes – only 19 per cent of adults today compared with 46 cent when our survey began in 1976.

‘While the majority of people are using e- cigarettes as an aid to quitting smoking it seems they don’t work for everyone.’

‘More efforts are needed’