We know that smoking rates are going down in the UK – in 2017, smoking prevalence was down to 14.9%, 5% less than it had been five years ago. That apparently meant that the number of smokers in the UK was just six million – a number sure to decrease even further with the popularity of vapes and e-cigarettes.
That number could even shrink to zero, some researchers think – and a new study suggests that that could happen on a particular date.
According to research from Frontier Economics, the UK’s last cigarette will be smoked in 2050 in Northern city Derby.
![](https://www.shortlist.com/media/images/2019/04/sara-kurfess-747807-unsplash-1556647134-aKkZ-column-width-inline.jpg)
It will be the last city to quit after Bristol (2024), York (2026) and Southampton (2049).
Weirdly enough, the research was commissioned by tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris – but it starts to make a bit more sense when you find out that the company are hoping to stop producing tobacco products altogether, instead manufacturing e-cigarettes and other smoke-free products.
If you need any more encouragement to quit smoking, this chart might help. It shows everything that happens to your body when you give up smoking – and from better circulation to a better sense of smell, there’s plenty of incentive.
Image: Unsplash
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