Fenland has beaten off some formidable competition to win the less than prestigious title of the ‘smoking capital of the UK’.
Figures from the Office of for National Statistics (ONS) show that people living in the area covered by Fenland District Council tops a list of every local authority.
The figures show that 27.8 per cent of those who are over 18 and living in Fenland are smokers.
Not only that but the figures – estimated for 2021 – show the numbers rising from 22.8 per cent in the previous year.
Which is in direct conflict with ONS figures for most of the UK that show the numbers of those smoking dropping to the lowest level on record. Vaping is considered a main reason for the fall.
But the news is much better elsewhere in Cambridgeshire with both South and East Cambridgeshire near the bottom of the list.
This chart illustrates what it looks like across the county (West Norfolk figures included as parts of Wisbech and Fen villages come under the borough council).
The main figure is from 2021 and the percentage in brackets relates to the 2020 estimate.
Fenland – 27.8% (22.8%)
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk – 19.3% (14.4%)
Peterborough – 14.4% (15.7%)
Cambridge – 14.3% (15.0%)
Huntingdonshire – 12.7% (17.2%)
South Cambridgeshire – 6.3% (12.3%) (14th from bottom)
East Cambridgeshire – 5.5% (15.5%) (8th from bottom)
Cambridgeshire County Council, annually, supports the Stoptober campaign, which campaigns to persuade smokers to quit.
Nearly 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year.
Susan Van de Ven, vice chair of adults and health committee for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It is never too late to quit smoking. You will notice immediate improvements to your health when you stop.
“Going 28 days smoke free means you are five times as likely to quit for good. Quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily – and give you more money to spend. “We also have local expert support from Healthy You Stop Smoking Service which will give people the best chance of success.”
There is also the Healthy You Stop Smoking Service provides free advice, support, and encouragement to help you stop smoking for good.
You will receive 12 weeks of support from your own stop smoking specialist who will work with you to design your own personalised quit plan.
This includes advice on choosing a suitable stop smoking medication and information on how to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. To sign up for free support visit: healthyyou.org.uk/sign-up or call 0333 005 0093.
