This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Smoking rates fall to record low
Public Health England (PHE) has revealed that smoking rates in England have fallen to the lowest on record, with the availability of e-cigarettes a likely reason for the drop.
Figures show that last year 16.9 per cent of adults described themselves as smokers, compared with 19.3 per cent in 2012.
More than a million people said they used e-cigarettes as they tried to quit and 700,000 used a licensed nicotine replacement product such as patches or gum. Out of the 2.5 million smokers who tried to quit, a fifth were successful. PHE claims that six years ago that figure stood at one in seven.
Prescriptions for cessation aids, such as patches and gum, have also dropped in the period, while the sale of e-cigarettes has gone up.
Rosanna O'Connor, director of drugs, alcohol, tobacco at Public Health England, said: "The reduction in smoking rates isn't the result of a single magic bullet but concerted policies over decades."
PHE released the figures ahead of its Stoptober campaign, which aims to encourage smokers to quit smoking during October.
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