Over 1.3 billion cigarettes smoked in the North East every year
New figures published today [1] (July 18) reveal that 1.34 billion cigarettes are smoked in the North East every year. North East smokers also smoke an average of 11.7 cigarettes per day– which is the highest rate of regions in England.
The Cancer Research UK study, conducted by University College London (UCL), shows that around 28 billion cigarettes are smoked in Britain every year.
Tobacco smoking is the biggest cause of ill health, disability and death in the country – causing 64,000 deaths in England annually and over 125,000 deaths in the North East since the year 2000. The uniquely lethal product kills up to 2 in 3 long-term smokers, most of whom start as teenagers.
The research shows more action is needed to help people quit smoking and to reduce the stark health inequalities linked to smoking.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “While we have made good progress in reducing overall smoking rates in the North East, it’s worrying to see that people who do smoke in the region are smoking more cigarettes per day than other regions.
“Tobacco is having a devastating impact on our local communities, so we must continue efforts to prevent uptake and support smokers to quit. Cancer Research UK’s latest findings reinforce how important it is that we end tobacco harm for good.
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a vital step towards protecting future generations, so we’re calling on the government to pass the Bill urgently to create a smokefree future. In addition, we’re also calling on them to take decisive and bold action by publishing the Roadmap to a Smokefree Britain to outline plans on how it is going to make smoking obsolete.
“At a time when the NHS is under increasing financial pressure, it’s only right that the tobacco industry is made to pay a levy to help fund prevention and quit support. We urge the government to consider this as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and know the public are in support.”
Lead author of the paper and principal research fellow at UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, Dr Sarah Jackson, said: “Tackling smoking is not just about preventing uptake among future generations. Supporting the six million people in the UK who currently smoke cigarettes to quit will have major benefits for public health and for the environment.
“Despite declining smoking rates, over 28 billion cigarettes are still consumed in Great Britain each year, generating up to 140,000 metric tons of toxic, non-biodegradable waste annually. Reducing cigarette consumption, particularly in the most affected regions and communities, is critical not only to save lives and narrow health inequalities, but also to protect our environment from one of the most pervasive forms of plastic pollution.”
There has never been a better time to quit smoking and there are more options than ever before. Visit FreshQuit.co.uk for tips, advice and local quit support.
[1] *A pre-embargoed link to the study can be found here.
When the embargo lifts on 00:01 hrs GMT Friday 18 July, you can access the study here.
**UK smoking rates have declined from 18.8% in 2013 to 11.9% in 2023. However, projections indicate that if current trends continue, England will not reach its smokefree target of 5% smoking prevalence until 2039, while the ambition is 2030. Wales and Northern Ireland won’t reach this until the early 2040s, and Scotland not until the late 2040s.
- As well as breaking down the regional and socioeconomic differences, study authors examined how the data varies depending on whether people had children in their household. While cigarette consumption was slightly lower among adults who had children in the household, more action is needed to ensure that no child is exposed to the harms of tobacco.
- If all 28.6 billion cigarettes smoked each year Britain are discarded, this could create almost 140,000 metric tons of waste with plastics that remain in the environment for years.