Smoking rate falls to record low in Greater Manchester

Photo: kwanchaift - stock.adobe.com

14.3% of adults (equivalent to around 316,000 people) in Greater Manchester were smoking in 2022

New figures reveal that the proportion of people smoking in Greater Manchester has fallen to the lowest level on record.

The Office for National Statistics has this week released its latest report on smoking prevalence. It reveals that 14.3% of adults (equivalent to around 316,000 people) in Greater Manchester were smoking in 2022 – an estimated 24,000 fewer smokers compared to 2021.

The data also shows that Greater Manchester continues to close the regional and national smoking prevalence gap, and now sits just 0.9 percentage points above the North West (13.4%) and 1.6 percentage points above England (12.7%) – the narrowest the gap has ever been.

The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership’s Making Smoking History programme brings together partners from across all 10 local authorities, the NHS and the voluntary sector to tackle the harms of tobacco and offer support for smokers to quit.

Andrea Crossfield, Making Smoking History Lead at Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, said: “The decline in smoking prevalence is testament to the success of not only individual smokers giving up a serious addiction, but the concentrated efforts of partners working across Greater Manchester – in both supporting people to quit, and also preventing the next generation from taking up smoking.

“There is so much great work happening here in Greater Manchester to bring smoking rates down, from insight-driven behaviour change campaigns, to our pioneering Smokefree Pregnancy programme supporting expectant parents to quit smoking.

“These latest figures show progress is being made, but smoking still kills around 5,700 people in Greater Manchester each year, and it remains the single biggest preventable cause of death and disease.

“If we want to achieve our targets for a smokefree 2030, which means smoking prevalence of 5% or less, we must continue to go further and faster, with bold action on a national level to reduce smoking rates – something we know the public in Greater Manchester want to see as well.”

For free, personalised support to stop smoking in Greater Manchester visit www.MakeSmokingHistory.co.uk or call the NHS Stop Smoking Helpline on 0300 123 1044.