BARNSLEY has one of the highest levels of adult smoking in the country.
Nearly a quarter of all adults in the town smoke, with its 23.6 per cent figure being the 46th highest average of all 324 local authorities.
This is also higher than the average for the Yorkshire and the Humber region (22.7 per cent), which has the highest prevalence of smoking for any region in the country.
Barnsley East MP Michael Dugher is backing the 'Stoptober' campaign run by Public Health England.
The campaign challenges people to quit smoking for 28 days in October.
He said: "Stoptober is a great campaign with fantastic resources available to help those who want to kick the habit.
"Smoking remains the largest cause of preventable illness and premature death, so it's concerning that there's a significantly high proportion of smokers in Barnsley.
"By stopping smoking for just 28 days you're five times more likely to stop all together."
