Ali Truman from Smokefree Hull, which helps people in the city give up smoking, said: “We’ve worked with over 3,500 clients. 2,200 of those have actually set what we call a quit date and 1,000 of those have quit.”
“So, to us, that’s fantastic but, obviously, in the wider city, there’s still more work to be done.”
In Hull City Centre, 39-year-old Damon Welham said he had been smoking since he was 11.
“I’ve tried to quit a few times,” he said. “I’ve cut down with my vape, but I do it because of the stress, just to de-stress.”
He said he managed to quit once, but still smokes.
Francis Gallagher, 21, said he smoked on nights out.
“I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to smoking, more to nicotine,” he said.
“I do vape as well. I did quit before, but when I came back to university I started again.”
Coquette Officer, 71, said she had been smoking for more than 30 years.
“I’ve tried a few times to quit, but probably not with a lot of enthusiasm,” she said.