THE SMOKING figures have been released an Malvern has the highest rate in Worcestershire.
Despite scoring 11.6 per cent, the town is 23rd in the West Midlands and 210th in England, below both the regional and national averages, which stand at 13.9 and 14.1 per cent respectively.
Redditch has the lowest smoking rate in Worcestershire at 9.8 per cent (263rd nationally).
Worcester has a rate of 10.7 per cent (236th nationally) and below Bromsgrove and Droitwich which both stand at 10.8.
The worst places in the West Midlands are Tamworth at 19.4 per cent and Stoke-on-Trent at 18.2.
The figures were collated by Vape Club in a campaign to encourage smoking cessation and they were sourced from official Public Health England statistics released in July.
The number of smokers in the West Midlands successfully quitting was at 1.12 per cent – below England’s average of 1.89.
But in Worcestershire the quit rate was just 0.12 per cent – the second lowest out of 213 districts in England.
Dan Marchant, smoking cessation expert and Director of Vape Club, said: “More and more people are starting to see that vaping offers a game-changing alternative to traditional smoking cessation methods.
“Figures show that vaping is actually twice as effective as other nicotine replacement products, and it is fantastic to see organisations such as Public Health England and the NHS embracing this public health breakthrough.
“However, there is clearly still a long way to go in getting the vaping message out to the millions of people still smoking in England.”
