Smoking in Brighton has hit a record low – but figures are not falling fast enough according to charities.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that just over one in ten adults in Brighton and Hove smoked in 2022.

While the numbers are falling, the city’s average are still above the national average, with anti-smoking charities warning figures are not dropping fast enough.

In Brighton, 12.8 per cent of adults said that they smoked in 2022, a fall from the 13.7 per cent who did so the year before.

However, the figure is above the national average of 12.7 per cent. Charity action on Smoking and Health called the figures a “wake-up call” with the UK not on track to hit the government target of five per cent by 2030.

Deborah Arnott, Action on Smoking and Health chief executive, said: "Smoking rates are falling, but not nearly fast enough to deliver on the Government’s ambition of 5% or less by 2030.

“Financial stress and poor mental health are on the rise, which we know makes it harder for smokers to quit."

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In the picture for the rest of the county there was an increase in the rate of smokers in Mid Sussex, Chichester and Crawley.

In Crawley, rates were significantly higher than the national average with more than one in five adults admitting to smoking last year.

The highest rate of smokers in Sussex was in Hastings, where just under a quarter of adults smoke. The lowest was in Lewes, where 10.5 per cent of adults said they had smoked a cigarette.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it is looking to "balance the public health opportunities vaping offers to smokers, while protecting young people and non-smokers from using them".

The data also revealed men in the UK were more likely to smoke, with 14.6% using cigarettes in 2022 compared to 11.2% of women.

Similarly, men in Brighton and Hove were more likely to be smokers at 16.9% compared to 8.6% of women in the area last year.