Burnley well on its way to becoming a smoke-free town

Figures, published by the Office for National Statistics in partnership with Public Health England, show that only 10% of people in the town currently smoke compared to 24% in 2016.

While the survey sample size for Burnley is relatively small, the ONS reports an upper confidence limit of 15.5%; close to the national average of 15%.

Lancashire County Council’s public health team and the Clinical Commissioning Group do remain highly cautious about this data.

However, it is possible that a dramatic number of smokers in Burnley have moved over to e-cigs and smoke-free products in the last year, and are therefore now classed as non-smokers.

Public Health England, who recently predicted that smoking would be "eradicated" by 2030, currently estimates that properly regulated vaping and e-cigs products are 95% less harmful than traditional tobacco products. And long

The government body, backed by a recent report from the House of Common’s science and technology committee, strongly support vaping and e-cigs because of its harm reduction potential.

Linda Searle, a health improvement expert at Burnley Leisure said plenty of help was on hand for people still struggling to quit.

“Stoptober is back this year. It’s the 28 day stop smoking challenge. Stopping for a month is an important target: if you stopped smoking for 28 days you’re five times more likely to quit for good!

"Quitting smoking is easier with the right support. Our open access clinics provide free local face to face advice and offer practical support and aids on prescription to help smokers quit for good. We’d encourage smokers to quit not just to improve your personal health, but to quit for your family.

"There is no need to book just come along to the St Peter’s Centre. We’re there every Monday from 5-30pm - 6-45pm.”

For more information call the office on 01282 477134 or email [email protected]