ALMOST 36,000 Yorkshire folk kicked the smoking habit last year.
The number of smokers quitting for good has increased by 22.7% since early 2007.
It comes as research revealed that non-smokers live 14 years longer than people who smoke.
Experts are unable to say how many people in the region smoke, with figures suggesting nationally around nine million smoke regularly.
But the 35,500 people who have quit are those who sought help.
Doctors at the NHS say the figure does not represent the true picture, with many thousands more smokers stopping by themselves.
Paul Johnstone, director for public health, said: “This is tremendous news. We are starting to see the number of people giving up smoking increase every year.
“On average a smoker’s life is 14 years shorter than a non smoker’s so the benefits of stopping smoking are obvious.
“As well as the health benefits for individuals, these figures are also great news for the NHS as a whole, with smoking-related incidents putting extra strain on our resources.
“In the near future we will be able to look forward to fewer cases of heart and lung disease, fewer cancer and stroke cases and also healthier babies because fewer women smoke during pregnancy.”
Statistics show that more than half, 55%, of smokers said that they were most likely to have been asked by a loved one to quit smoking.
Female smokers were most likely to be asked by their children to quit smoking, while men tend to be asked to quit by their partners.
But the NHS Smokefree campaign is not resting on its laurels.
They have now launched a new initiative to encourage family members to get their loved ones to kick the habit.
A voucher book with ‘I own you’ tickets can be used to help people quit smoking, with smokers doing a forfeit or having to carry out a chore whenever they smoke.
