Around one in ten adults in Leeds are smokers, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics, compared to around one in six in 2024.
Smoking has been on the decline for decades; in 1974, 45% of adults over 16 smoked cigarettes.
Paul Lambert, Head of Services for Yorkshire Cancer Research, said that more could still be done to curb smoking in Yorkshire.
He said: “Currently, one in eight people in Yorkshire smoke, and we want to end that. It’s the only product in the world that if used as intended, kills one in two people who use it. If it came out today, it wouldn’t be allowed, and we would ban it.”
The national smoking rate fell below 10% for the first time, with vaping remaining popular as an alternative. The change has been especially clear with 18-24 year-olds: Between 2011 and 2025, cigarette smoking for the age group dropped from 25.7% to 7.2%.
Non-smokers are picking up vaping
1.1 million adults in Great Britain who have never been smokers reported picking up vaping.
12.9% of 16-24 year-olds were vape users. From January 2027, The Tobacco and Vapes Act will permanently ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born in 2009 or later.
Lambert said that while vaping was still harmful, Yorkshire Cancer Research still recommend it as an alternative to smoking.
He said, “We’re not prop-vaping, but we’re pro harm reduction, and we know that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking. So our message is: If you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and if you do smoke, switch to something that’s less harmful.”