More than 90 admissions a week to Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals linked to smoking

The rates remain higher than national average, despite a significant drop in the number of local people using cigarettes over the last few years.

The report, which was written by Wakefield s director of public health, Anna Hartley, said that heart disease, strokes and breathing conditions were among the illnesses associated with the practice.

It also said that smoking costs the local economy £95m a year through "health, social care, house fires and in lost productivity from smoking related (absences from work)".

Wakefield Council outsources Stop Smoking services to the NHS at present.

The council's current contract with the NHS is due to expire at the end of this year, but the authority is expected to extend financial support for the service at a meeting next week.

In her report, Ms Hartley said: "The impact of smoking locally is significant; each year a fifth of all deaths and around 4,700 hospital admissions in Wakefield are attributable to smoking.

"Wakefield has higher than average smoking attributable hospital admissions, rates of smoking attributable mortality and other related mortality including from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)."

Health chiefs have paid particular attention to addressing high rates of smoking among pregnant women in Wakefield in recent years.

The proportion of mums-to-be who smoke was cut by nearly a fifth between 2017 and 2019, a sharp decline that has not been seen in other parts of the country.

Pregnant smokers now have to opt out of help and support services offered by the NHS, rather than opting in.

Local Democracy Reporting Service