Stockton has been named as one of the top areas in the country for quitting smoking, according to a recent study.
The research, carried out by Vapekit, analysed data from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities to identify regions in England where smoking prevalence has decreased the most between 2018 and 2023.
Stockton-on-Tees ranked second on the list, with the smoking prevalence dropping from 16.44 per cent to 6.97 per cent, a decrease of 57.59 per cent over the five-year period.
Commenting on the findings, Guy Lawler, managing director of Vapekit, said: "While quitting smoking can be extremely difficult, especially for long-term smokers, it’s clear from this data that in a range of areas there are many attempting to quit and many also succeeding.
"It will be interesting to note how this relates to vaping prevalence in these areas as an alternative to smoking, especially with the government’s recent intentions to raise the minimum age to purchase cigarettes each year."
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Slough came out on top with a 60.95 per cent reduction in smoking prevalence, going from 21.26 per cent in 2018 to 8.3 per cent in 2023.
Other areas that showed a significant reduction in smoking prevalence include Rutland, Brent, and Sutton.
However, Ealing, in Greater London, recorded the most substantial increase in smoking prevalence, with a 143.44 per cent rise from 9.17 per cent in 2018 to 22.31 per cent in 2023.
The study found that the Berkshire area of Slough is where people are quitting smoking the most, with a drop of 60.95 per cent.
The County Durham area of Stockton-On-Tees takes second place on the list, with a 57.59 per cent reduction.
Rutland comes in third place, with a decrease of 57.49 per cent, and the London areas of Brent and Sutton take fourth and fifth place, with reductions of 52.24 per cent and 51.26 per cent respectively.
The study shows a significant trend of decreasing smoking prevalence across many regions in England.
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