The charity has revealed that in the North West, one person dies as a result of smoking every 40 minutes. Despite the number of people smoking reducing in the past 50 years, it is still the leading cause of death in the UK.

The ‘Smokefree UK’ campaign is a public petition asking the government to consider new measures to reduce smoking such as increasing the age of sale from 18 to 21 to protect young people, as well as calling for more funding for stop smoking services and public health campaigns to support more smokers to quit. This in turn will improve the nation’s health, wealth and wellbeing, as well as ease pressures on the NHS from smoking-related illness.

It is estimated that around 1 in 6 people in Greater Manchester smoke – a dramatic fall from 2007 when 1 in 4 people smoked. The reduction in smokers is due to more legislation and restrictions on the buying of tobacco, alongside an increase in support for smokers who are trying to quit.

To add your support, sign the petition on Cancer Research UK’s website.