Anti-smoking services in Perth and Kinross have come under fire after it was revealed the number of smokers in the area is growing despite government efforts to wipe out the habit.
New Scottish Government figures show an increase of more than 2% in the number of smokers in the area, flying in the face of a national trend that has seen around 5% fewer Scots lighting up than in the previous year.
Newly published figures have also revealed that the number of registered quit attempts in Perth and Kinross has fallen over the past year and now stands at its lowest level since 2009.
NHS Tayside said the figures were a “concern” but said there could be a number of factors to explain the rise, including a growing local population.
Conservative list MSP Liz Smith said Perth and Kinross was suffering from “a dramatic fall in funding for smoking cessation services.”
She said funding had fallen from £588,230 in 2015/16 to £133,977 in 2016/17.
“Any increase in the number of smokers in Perth and Kinross is concerning,” said Ms Smith.
“Unfortunately, smoking is still responsible for far too many deaths and we need to work harder to reduce the number of people starting smoking.
“The NHS smoking cessation service has a big role to play in this and I would hope that funding in the future respects this fact.”
The Scottish Government has said that it would like to see Scotland smoke free by 2034. But the number of smokers in Perth and Kinross grew from 21,679 in 2015/16 to 22,130 in 2016/17, according to the figures published this week.
The figures also bring an end to two consecutive years of falling numbers of smokers in Perth and Kinross.
SNP Council Leader Dave Doogan called on NHS Tayside to review its programmes to ensure they were fit for purpose.
He said: “I am very surprised and disappointed at any report which indicates smoking rates are increasing in Perth and Kinross after such significant improvements in this key area of public health over the last 10 years.”
NHS Tayside consultant in public health pharmacy Andrew Radley said: “We know that the number of people smoking tobacco has fallen across Scotland so any increase in smokers is a concern.
“The rise in the number of smokers in Perth and Kinross may be due to a variety of factors, including the rise in population. The reduction in the number of quit attempts is also likely to be the result of a combination of factors, including the use of e-cigarettes being used as step towards quitting smoking.
“It is important to note that the number of smokers in Perth and Kinross remains below the Scottish average and that most people in the region do not smoke.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said fewer than one in five adults in Scotland now smokes, down from one in four in 2012.
