CONCERNS have been raised that it may be difficult to further reduce smoking rates in Bradford.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee, members discussed smoking levels in the District as part of an update on health targets.

In 2015-16, 20 per cent of adults smoked in the Bradford District. Despite numerous anti-smoking and public health campaigns, the most recent figure is still 18.9 per cent.

The Committee was discussing the Bradford District Plan, which includes a number of health and wellbeing targets.

The report said there had been some progress on reducing smoking, but pointed out that smoking rates had risen slightly.

It added: “Work is continuing to address this issue.”

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Members of the committee questioned whether the smoking rates could ever be brought down.

With the smoking ban coming in almost 13 years ago, and plenty of anti-smoking services available, Councillors questioned whether everyone who was willing to quit had already done so.

Councillor Mike Pollard (Cons, Baildon): “Most people know smoking is a bad idea, yet people continue to do it.

“There doesn’t seem to be any evidence this work is making any difference. I feel there isn’t anything that can be done to make any significant change to this figure.

“I wonder if we’re flogging a dead horse to be blunt.”

Councillor David Green (Lab, Wibsey) said he had recently quit smoking to move to vaping.

He added: “Many people have quit smoking, but have we now picked all the low hanging fruit?

“When I gave up one reason was because it cost £12 a pack.

“I feel some people are addicted to smoking like others are addicted to other drugs. It might be we have to take a different approach to help people who are hooked on it.

“It may be more needs to be done to stop people from starting smoking in the first place.”