Number of smokers in town drops 53% in 10 years

Under 10% of Swindon residents are smokers, according to government figures

The number of smokers in Swindon has dropped by more than 50% over the last 10 years, according to government figures.

Smokers in the town have been giving up at a faster rate than nearly everywhere else in the country, with only Oxford recording a larger fall.

It comes as Swindon Borough Council has been working to reduce smoking by supporting those trying to quit and introducing programmes in schools to deter young people from taking it up.

Professor Steve Maddern, the council's director of public health, said: “It’s great to see residents are quitting smoking, but there’s still more that can be done.”

Government figures show that over the last 10 years, the proportion of smokers in Swindon dropped from 20.4% to 9.4%.

Only Oxford recorded a bigger drop during the same period, with the number of smokers in the city falling from 16.3% to 7.4%, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Smoke-free generation

Mr Maddern said the council is committed to working towards a smoke-free generation.

"Not only are we supporting people to stop smoking, but we’re also undertaking work to prevent people from taking up the habit in the first place which includes programmes within schools to make sure children don’t start smoking or vaping.

“We still have high numbers of smokers within some of our most vulnerable residents and our 2023-2028 strategy sets ambitious targets to reduce this," he added.