Greater Manchester aims to Make Smoking History as smoking rates continue to fall

Smoking

National figures  show a further fall in the numbers of people smoking across Greater Manchester. 

The figures show smoking rates have fallen from 18.4% to 17.5% during 2017. Rates of smoking remain higher than the England average of 14.9%, down from 15.5% in 2016.

Greater Manchester’s health leaders have pledged to make smoking history over the next decade. This includes an ambitious target of supporting 115,000 of the city region’s 393,000 smokers to quit over the next three years. 

Most people who smoke become addicted as teenagers and one in every two people who smoke dies of a smoking-related disease. Smoking causes 13 deaths a day in Greater Manchester– that’s 4,500 every year – and is linked with 16 types of cancer, COPD, heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes and bone thinning.

Sarah Price, director of population health for the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, said: ‘We have an unprecedented ambition of making smoking history in Greater Manchester by inspiring a smokefree generation and supporting every smoker to end their addiction. By tackling the number one cause of preventable illness, early death and health inequalities, we will transform the health, wealth and wellbeing of people across our region.”