QUITTING the fags is a struggle for people in Dorset, new figures show.

From April to September last year 907 people in Dorset signed up with the NHS Stop Smoking Service and set themselves a date to quit.

At follow up meetings four weeks later 349 people said they had given up, according to data from NHS England. That's 38 per cent, which is below the average rate for England of 49 per cent during the period.

The success rate is based on self-reported results of people who said that they hadn't had a puff for two weeks since their quit date. But 27 per cent of those who started the process had their result validated though a test that checks carbon monoxide in their bloodstream, proving they had kicked the habit.

The NHS Stop Smoking Service offers support with one-to-one counselling or group sessions. Medicines that help with nicotine cravings can also be prescribed, while some people also use over the counter products.

Men had more success than women with 46 per cent quitting compared to 33 per cent of women.

Age was also a factor. Among 18 to 34-year-olds trying to quit the success rate was 31 per cent but among the over 60s it was 47 per cent.

Around the country, the highest quit rate was 85 per cent in Slough and the lowest was 23 per cent in Cumbria.

The data does not include any information on those who moved to vaping instead of smoking.

A recent study by University College London, funded by Cancer Research UK, found significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals and cancer-causing substances in former smokers who had been using e-cigarette compared to those who were still smoking.

Public Health England says that those struggling to quit should switch to e-cigarettes and it encourages NHS Trusts to go smoke free by selling them alongside nicotine replacement pills and patches in hospitals and replacing smoking shelters with vaping areas.

A spokesman from Public Health Dorset said: “Stopping smoking is one of the most effective ways to improve your health and reduce the risk of conditions like heart disease and lung cancer. So it’s great news that people are still wanting to access stop smoking services in Dorset, particularly as many people now try and quit solely with e-cigarettes.

"People in Dorset can access help to quit smoking from different providers as well as our health improvement service, LiveWell Dorset, which provides coaching to people wanting to change unhealthy behaviours. People trying to quit smoking using LiveWell Dorset, supported by their GP or pharmacy, have the greatest chance of success."

LiveWell Dorset can be contacted on 01305 233105 or freephone 0800 8401628.