Hull: Extra funding for council to tackle smoker numbers

Data from the Department for Health and Social Care says about one in five people smoked in Hull during the last three years

Hull is set to gain £500,000 in extra funding to help tackle the number of smokers in the city.

Government figures state Hull has the second-highest smoking rate in the country, only behind Blackpool.

The statistics showed more than one in five people in Hull - 20.49% - smoked in the last three years on average.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced plans to raise the legal age of smoking every year by a year so that eventually no-one can buy tobacco.

It would mean those currently aged under 15 could never buy cigarettes or tobacco legally.

A total of £70m has been given to councils to help them try and tackle smoking, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Hull's smoking rate equates to a total of 42,495 people.

The extra funding is on top of the £481,177 it currently receives.

Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said the amount of responses to the government consultation showed the strength of feeling on the issue.

Mr Whitty said: "Smoking is highly addictive and causes multiple diseases including heart disease, cancers, dementia and stroke.

"If passed, this will help ensure the next generation is smoke free and the additional funding will help current smokers stop, preventing major future harm."