Smoking quit rate high in region

People who quit smoking in the South East had a high success rate

The South East has one of the highest success rates for people quitting smoking with the NHS, figures show.

Over 40,000 people from the South East turned to the NHS for help giving up smoking and 26,000 were successful.

The national average for people giving up with the NHS is 57% but in south west Kent the figure was 90% - the highest in the UK.

In Sussex and Surrey the average number of people quitting was 61% and in Brighton it was 65%.

Many teams in the region are still fairly new and they have strived to develop innovative services over the past year Helen Atkinson, Tobacco Control

The number of people using the NHS' Stop Smoking Services also increased and the Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority (SHA) had the highest growth rate of 244% - almost four times the national average.

The service provides advice, information, support groups and help from GPs, nurses and other trained advisers.

Helen Atkinson, of Tobacco Control, said: "The South East's success is all down to the hard work and commitment of the Stop Smoking Services within Primary Care Trusts.

"Many teams in the region are still fairly new and they have strived to develop innovative services over the past year."

Smoking causes about 120,000 deaths in the UK every year and the NHS spends £1.7bn treating smoking-related diseases.