Based on surveys with 101,960 adults representative of the population, researchers estimated 16.2% smoked in June 2017, falling to 15.1% by the start of the pandemic, in March 2020, but just 15% in August 2022, since when the the slower rate of decline has remained consistent.
![Smoking decline stalls since Covid as more young people take up the habit - study 1 Smoking decline stalls since Covid as more young people take up the habit – study](https://i0.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/AE31/production/_132039544_gettyimages-523234686.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1)