The number of adults smoking in Blackburn with Darwen increased by almost four per cent last year, figures show.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show almost one in five - 19.4 per cent - adults in the borough smoked in 2022 – up from 15.5 per cent the year before.

It contrasts with trends across England, where the national rate of smokers reached 12.7 per cent - one in eight - the lowest level on record.

Across the UK, smoking among adults also fell to its lowest level of 12.9 per cent last year – a drop on the 13.3 percent reported in 2021.

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Cllr Damian Talbot, executive member for public health, prevention, and wellbeing at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the council is running a number of initiatives to try and stop the number of smokers rising.

He said: “Giving up smoking is the single most immediate and important action we can take to improve health and wellbeing, improve life expectancy and reduce hospital admissions.

“Blackburn with Darwen Public Health team currently deliver stop smoking support within our community pharmacies.

"Through these services, people have access to high-quality support to enable them to stop smoking. In 2022/23 of those individuals who set a quit date, 56 per cent successfully quit smoking.

“We want to help as many people quit as possible and our Stop Smoking Service is a great chance to get help to break away from this addiction and start to feel the health and financial benefits of becoming smoke free.

“We are delivering interventions and awareness sessions across our family hubs, community settings, and partnership events with Cancer Research UK to engage with our population.”

James Tucker, head of health analysis at the ONS, said the national figure is “consistent with the continuing trend towards a decline in smoking prevalence in recent years.”

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However, Deborah Arnott, Action on Smoking and Health chief executive, said: “Smoking rates are falling, but not nearly fast enough to deliver on the Government’s ambition of five per cent or less by 2030.

"Financial stress and poor mental health are on the rise, which we know makes it harder for smokers to quit.”

She added the Government must “step-up” its support for smokers by investing in campaigns to motivate them to quit and discourage young people to start.

The ONS figures also showed 5.2 per cent of people aged over 16 used e-cigarettes daily in 2022, up from 4.9 per cent in 2021.

Ms Arnott said the growth in vaping among adult smokers and ex-smokers was welcome as vaping is a very as it can aid quitting smoking.

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However, she added there is a worrying growth in vaping among teens and young adults, with 15.5 per cent of young people aged 16 to 24 vaping daily or occasionally last year.

She said: “The Government’s response to the consultation on youth vaping due imminently must contain concrete measures to prohibit child-friendly branding, and put products out of sight and out of reach in shops, as well as a tax on the pocket money priced disposable vapes most popular with children.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is looking to “balance the public health opportunities vaping offers to smokers, while protecting young people and non-smokers from using them.”

The data also revealed men in the UK are more likely to smoke, with 14.6 per cent using cigarettes in 2022 compared to 11.2 per cent of women.

Similarly, men in Blackburn with Darwen were more likely to be smokers at 25.2 per cent compared to 14 per cent of women in the area last year.