The interactive data visualisation tool, 'Smoking in Wales' has been recently updated to highlight the current trends in smoking and its effect throughout Wales.
Smoking is a public health concern in Wales, accounting for one in six deaths in adults aged ≥35 years, primarily as a result of cancers and respiratory diseases.
Some of the key findings presented in the tool are as follows:
- The prevalence of smoking among adults residing in Wales is 18.4 per cent.
- Among Welsh children aged 11-16 years, 3.6 per cent self-reported smoking.
- Smoking-related mortality is around 3.5 times higher for females and 2.5 times higher for males in the most deprived fifth than the least deprived fifth. The gap seems to have widened over the past decade.
- Although smoking rates in Wales are steadily declining, the rates in the most deprived fifth remain more than double the rates in the least deprived fifth.
Ashley Gould, Consultant in Public Health and National Lead for Tobacco Control, said: "The newly updated tool is a great resource, bringing together data on smoking prevalence, and the outcomes of smoking – in terms of deaths, hospital admissions and key diseases including cancers, and circulatory and respiratory diseases."
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