Alarm as region tops table for smokers despite campaigns

The new study is be published next week by Yorkshire's director of public health Professor Paul Johnstone. The report says Yorkshire residents are generally among the least healthy in the country, faring "considerably worse" than the national average in more than two-thirds of measures used to gauge public health, from levels of binge-drinking and drug misuse to life expectancy and infant death rates.

Anti-smoking groups have registered particular alarm at Prof Johnstone's disclosure that in spite of huge campaigns and the introduction of tough laws relating to tobacco consumption in public plus cigarette packaging, rates of smoking in Yorkshire increased by more than three per cent last year. Over a quarter of adults in Yorkshire now consider themselves smokers – higher than any other part of the country, including Scotland.

Prof Johnstone said he is drawing up plans with NHS chiefs across Yorkshire to try to combat the problem, based on success stories achieved in other parts of the country.

His report says: "Tobacco use is the most common cause of premature, preventable deaths.

"It is the single biggest killer of people in the region. Smoking leads to the single most significant drain on NHS resources.

"Our region is in the bottom position, with the highest prevalence (of adults who smoke).

"Other regions have achieved faster reductions and clearer trends.

"We need to focus our investment on a comprehensive approach to tobacco control – not just helping smokers to stop through the NHS."