More than a dozen Notts children tried to quit smoking during pandemic

Charity Action on Smoking and Health said the stress of lockdown likely affected young people, as figures show they were the least successful age group to kick the habit.

NHS Digital data shows 19 under-18s in Nottinghamshire set a date to quit using the NHS Stop Smoking Service between April 2020 and March.

At follow-up meetings a month later, 10 said they had quit.

The previous year, 19 smokers aged under 18 successfully quit, out of 37 who set a target date.

Of the 1,700 child smokers looking to kick the habit across England last year, 45 per cent reported quitting.

Though up from 41 per cent the previous year, it was still the lowest success rate of any category and well behind the 61 per cent of people aged 60-plus who achieved the same.

Relationship

ASH said there is evidence the coronavirus pandemic has changed smokers’ relationship to tobacco.

Hazel Cheeseman, ASH deputy chief executive, said: “Recent research highlighted that younger people appear to have been taking up, or going back to smoking in larger numbers.

“It appears likely that for younger people the stress of lockdown has led to more smoking, while for older smokers health fears have prompted more quitting.

“Overall, people have been quitting with greater success in the pandemic.”

Jon Foster, senior policy officer at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: "If the Government is serious about reaching its own ambition for a smoke-free England by 2030, they need to reverse the 50 per cent cuts local stop smoking services have seen over the past few years.

“The Government should implement a smoke-free fund, using profits from tobacco companies to pay for measures to prevent people from starting to smoke and to support those who want to quit.”

The Department for Health & Social Care said UK smoking rates are at record low levels and the Government was on track to make England smoke-free by 2030.

A spokeswoman said: “We are addressing the damaging health implications of smoking across the country, especially where rates remain stubbornly high.”

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