health and smoking rates . The numbers of those living with mental health conditions increased in 2020 as the UK went into lockdown . The numbers of smokers who recorded having high anxiety doubled .
Almost a quarter of smokers in England reported having higher levels of anxiety in 2019 before the pandemic which is estimated to be 1.6 million people . In the last year , 38 percent of smokers recorded high anxiety which increased to 2.4 million people .
A further 21 percent of smokers reported unhappiness and 17 percent said they had lower life satisfaction . There was no change in the smoking rates of those without mental health issues .
The reports also gave an insight into which areas of the UK have higher smoking rates among those who recorded low wellbeing . The North East , North West , East Midlands and East of England had the highest anxiety rates with 40 percent of smokers . When it came to happiness , 20 percent of smokers across the majority of regions said they had low happiness . Both surveys were conducted by The Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) which surveys 320,000 households per year . The Annual Population ( APS ) and The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey ( OPN ) data is collected through a questionnaire or telephone call .
Similar findings have been reported by previous surveys . A report by Action on Smoking and Health ( ASH ) from 2019 revealed that higher smoking rates remain the single largest cause of the estimated 10-to-20-year reduced life expectancy for people with mental health conditions .
Another from the Royal College of Physicians showed that those who smoke more than 15 cigarettes per day were more likely to develop a mental health issue . It is estimated that 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked in England are by people with a mental health condition .
“ It is estimated that 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked in England are by people with a mental health condition .”
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