Smoking levels across different areas of Wales vary widely, as indicated by new data revealing that in one part of the country, more than a sixth of adults smoke. Official figures from 2023 show that there were around six million smokers in the UK, equating to just over one in nine adults (11.9%). This average has significantly dropped from 20.2% over the past 12 years. Among 18-24-year-olds, the decrease in smoking prevalence has been even more pronounced, with a decline from 25.7% to 9.8%.
The data for each of the 22 counties in Wales demonstrates the following smoking rates in 2023, along with the decrease from 2012: Merthyr Tydfil (17%, down from 25.6%), Rhondda Cynon Taf (16.6%, down from 27.3%), Neath Port Talbot (16.4%, down from 23.2%), Torfaen (16.3%, down from 25.1%), Blaenau Gwent (15.8%, down from 26.4%), Pembrokeshire (15.7%, down from 18.8%), Gwynedd (14.9%, down from 23.2%), Anglesey (14.2%, down from 20.2%), Denbighshire (14.1%, down from 21.6%), Wrexham (13.9%, down from 21.6%), Newport (13.7%, down from 20.8%), Caerphilly (13.6%, down from 22.1%), Carmarthenshire (13.1%, down from 19.7%), Flintshire (12.2%, down from 18.4%), Bridgend (12.1%, down from 20.8%), Conwy (12.1%, down from 21%), Swansea (11%, down from 20.6%), Cardiff (10.2%, down from 19%), Ceredigion (9.3%, down from 15.2%), Vale of Glamorgan (7.7%, down from 17%), Monmouthshire (7.1%, down from 16.5%), Powys (5.8%, down from 18%).
Among the UK regions, the East Midlands area of South Holland has the highest proportion of smokers at over a quarter (26.3%) of adults, followed by Uttlesford in Essex (24.9%), the Shetland Islands (24.9%), and Fenland in Cambridgeshire (24.0%). Starting from 2027, the legal age for tobacco sales will increase by one year annually. This means that individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, will never reach the legal age to purchase tobacco, making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone below that age.
It’s worth noting that while smoking is declining, the use of e-cigarettes is on the rise. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics indicate that almost one in 10 people aged 16 or over (9.8%) were either daily or occasional users of e-cigarettes, a significant increase from 3.7% reported in 2014. The popularity of vaping is particularly notable among Generation Z, with 15.8% of individuals aged 16 to 24 reporting vaping in 2023, compared to just 1.4% in 2014.
As smoking trends evolve and new alternatives gain traction, it’s essential to monitor these changes in habits and preferences to better understand public health implications and tailor interventions accordingly.