THE number of young adults who smoke in England rose by a quarter in the first lockdown – but more people also successfully kicked the habit, new research has suggested.

Hundreds of thousands more smoked compared to before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the study funded by Cancer Research UK showed.

There was a 25 per cent increase in 18 to 34-year-olds who smoke, which translated into a rise of more than 652,000 young adults, the charity said.

On a more positive note, researchers also found there were increases in the number of smokers quitting successfully.

There was a 99 per cent rise in people across all groups successfully quitting during lockdown compared with pre-pandemic, they said.

Cancer Research UK said smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer, known to cause at least 15 different types of the disease.

LiveWires SmokeFree Warrington team

LiveWire's SmokeFree Warrington team

Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author and principal research fellow at University College London, said: “The first lockdown was unprecedented in the way it changed people’s day-to-day lives.

“We found that many smokers took this opportunity to stop smoking, which is fantastic.

“However, the first lockdown was also a period of great stress for many people, and we saw rates of smoking and risky drinking increase among groups hardest hit by the pandemic.

“It will be important to keep a close eye on how these increases in smoking and drinking develop over time to ensure appropriate support is made accessible for anyone who needs it.”

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, added: “Public health campaigns and prevention services have a vital role to play in helping people to quit and also maintaining the motivation of those who have already made positive changes.

“The upcoming tobacco control plan for England is a key opportunity for the Government to reduce smoking rates, but this can only be achieved with sufficient investment.

READ> Unloved and overgrown land turned into village asset

“A Smokefree Fund, using tobacco industry funds, but without industry interference, could pay for the comprehensive measures needed to prevent people from starting to smoke and helping those who do, to quit.”

According to Smoke Free Future’s smoking map of Britain, which uses data from the Office for National Statistics, 11.3 per cent of Warrington residents are smokers.

The Warrington SmokeFree Service is where you can see a local stop smoking adviser face-to-face.

All the support you receive is free and you can choose between group support or one-to-one.

Call Livewire Lifestyles now on 0300 003 0818 or visit livewirewarrington.co.uk/lifestyles