Responding to ONS figures showing a 11.9% decline in smoking in England in 2023, the Local Government Association said council could help eliminate the habit and looked forward to the publication of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Council public health teams work hard to help reduce smoking rates and it is testament to their efforts that smoking rates continue to fall.

‘They can help the Government achieve its ambition of eliminating smoking in England and we look forward to the publication of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

‘We are also calling on the Government in the Autumn Budget to increase investment in the public health grant, which has suffered a cut of 27 per cent in real terms since 2015/16.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Vapes can be an effective way for adult smokers to quit, but we have always been clear children and adult non-smokers should not vape.

‘Meanwhile, smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our NHS, and costs taxpayers billions.

‘The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, saving thousands of lives and easing pressures on the NHS. By building a healthier society, we will help to build a healthy economy.'