Smoking causes more deaths each year than any other preventable cause. The main causes of death are cardiovascular disease, cancers and respiratory disease.
Locally, adult smoking prevalence has decreased over the last decade and is in line with the national average, however smoking prevalence is higher in people from more deprived areas and those working in routine and manual jobs.
Smoking in pregnancy is a particular concern due to the effect on both mother and baby and children who grow up in families who smoke are more likely to take up smoking themselves. Other groups with particularly high rates of smoking include adults who are unemployed, adults with alcohol and drug misuse problems, adults from Eastern European Countries and adults from certain LGBT groups.
A proportion of tobacco is illegal. Illegal tobacco brings crime into our communities and makes smoking more affordable and accessible to everyone including children and young people, ensuring people start young and continue the habit into adulthood.
Usage of e-cigarettes has increased significantly in recent years. Available evidence suggests that smoking e-cigarettes is likely to be less harmful than smoking tobacco, and that they may help people to quit or cut down the amount they smoke. Evidence on this area is still emerging.