Stockton has been named one of the areas set to benefit the most from the introduction of an anti-smoking drug.

The new stop-smoking pill, Varenicline, is part of an NHS initiative aimed at reducing smoking rates across the UK.

A study by online vape retailer Vapekit, which analysed data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, highlighted the regions with the highest quitting rates between 2018 and 2023.

Stockton was ranked second among areas in Britain on this list. The study found that in 2018, the smoking prevalence for adults in Stockton was 16.44 per cent. This decreased to 6.97 per cent in 2023, a drop of 57.59 per cent.

Vapekit's managing director, Guy Lawler, 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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The only area with a higher quitting rate was Slough, which saw a 60.95 per cent reduction in smoking prevalence.

Rutland, Brent, and Sutton made up the rest of the top five.

The introduction of Varenicline is expected to further assist these regions in reducing smoking rates.

The pill works by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for smokers to quit.

However, not all areas have shown such a positive trend.

Ealing in Greater London was highlighted as the area with the most significant increase in smoking.

The smoking prevalence in Ealing increased from 9.17 per cent in 2018 to 22.31 per cent in 2023, a rise of 143.44 per cent.