There has been more positive news coming from the UK as Public Health England (PHE) has declared that more than a million people have stopped smoking in England in the last 4 years. They, therefore, predict that Britain could be smoke-free by 2030.
There is a drastic reduction in the rate of smoking in England and last year alone, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) recorded that about 400,000 people gave up smoking out of 6.1 million smokers. The smoking rate has reduced from 19.8% in 2011 to 15.5% in 2016.
The PHE predicted that Britain could be a smoke-free society in 2030. Moreover, with the smoking reduction rate in the UK, there is the possibility of having just one smoker out of every 10 English people in the next five years.
This prediction would lead to a reduction between 8.5% and 11.7% of the smoking rate in the UK within the next five years, and in 2030, the whole of Britain could be a smoke-free society.
These figures are an indication that the primary goal of ensuring Britain becomes effectively smoke-free by 2030 can be achieved. The PHE’s chief executive Duncan Selbie has urged the National Health Service (NHS) to strive to attain this goal.
However, the major setback on this goal is that the majority of smokers are trying to quit by going “cold turkey” or relying on willpower. The PHE points out that using these methods will hinder their smoking-cessation journey because they are not really the most effective method.
The Annual Stoptober Campaign
Last Thursday, the health organization launched its annual campaign to encourage smokers to adopt the use of an effective cessation tool such as e-cigarettes. The organization suggests transitioning from smoking to non-smoking using vaping products.
The minister of Public Health, Steve Brine, in his statement, while announcing the campaign said: “smoking rate has fallen to record lows in Britain which is a global leader on tobacco control and we must continue to encourage smokers to quit for good.”