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In the 1970s, half of men and 40% of women over the age of 16 reported smoking cigarettes. Since then, smoking rates have steadily fallen. By 2023, this was just 12% of men and 10% of women.

This dramatic decline is the result of decades of efforts such as clear warnings on cigarette packs, bans on tobacco advertising, indoor smoking restrictions, and support to help quit. Newer technologies — including vaping products, nicotine patches & medications — have also helped many people quit.

Despite this, smoking remains the leading risk factor for preventable death in the UK, raising the risk of many cancers, heart attacks, and strokes. Fewer smokers means fewer people suffering from these serious diseases.

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Do we know if it's because of the long term impacts i.e. former smokers that aren't dead yet could still get cancer, so we're still see high rates of disease because of the old rates of smoking?

Over the years, we may find vaping to be almost as harmful as smoking, which seems to be absolutely everywhere. The tobacco industry are still determined to make their money at the expense of everyone’s health, and deny it along the way. www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/welln...

hopkinsmedicine.org5 Vaping Facts You Need to KnowSmoking electronic cigarettes is often considered safer than regular smoking. Learn facts about vaping and why you should rethink taking it up.

We wouldn't add these numbers - if it said 100% of men and 100% of women smoke, for example, that would mean 200% of the population smokes. Instead, they're proportions. If the population is a 50/50 split men/women, then if 11% of men and 10% of women smoke, 10.5% of the whole population smokes.