Number of pregnant women smoking in Salford sees a huge drop
Despite the decrease in smokers, there are now concerns from health officials about women who may be vaping when they are pregnant
New figures reveal that the number of women in Salford smoking in pregnancy has fallen by more than half over the past decade – with the city’s Smoking at Time of Delivery rate falling from 15.1% in 2013/14 to 6.7% in 2023/24.
In 2013/14:
15.1% or 521 women were smoking at the time of delivery.
In 2023/24:
6.7% or 218 women were smoking at the time of delivery.
That’s 295 more babies born smoke free.
Among the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, Salford had the 3rd lowest value. The overall average for Greater Manchester was 7.7% for 2023/24.
Councillor John Merry CBE, Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “This is a real success story for Salford, but we’re not complacent.
“We know smoking during pregnancy can have devastating consequences for babies and families. That’s why we’re continuing to push for smoke-free environments and stronger support for those who want to quit.”
The risks of smoking in pregnancy
- Low birth weight is twice as likely
- Miscarriage and stillbirth are 32% and 47% more likely respectively
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is 3 times as likely
- Childhood asthma and respiratory infections
Why it matters
A reduction in smoking when pregnant means fewer families having the stress of babies in neonatal intensive care, fewer hospital admissions for asthma and infections, better long-term health outcomes, lower NHS costs and healthier families overall.
Salford’s response to becoming Smoke-free
Salford is taking a whole-community approach to tackling smoking in pregnancy and promoting smoke-free living:
- All 60 Salford City Council-owned parks have children’s play areas displaying smoke and vape-free signage.
- Smoke-free touchlines have been introduced at Salford Community Leisure managed sports pitches to protect children during family activities.
- Community messaging is being refreshed to focus on the benefits of smoke-free homes, not just for babies but for the whole household.
Councillor Mishal Saeed, Executive Support Member for Social Care and Mental Health, also shared: “We want to celebrate the families who’ve made this change and inspire others to do the same. A smoke-free start in life is one of the best gifts we can give our children. This aligns well with one of the three shifts in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, which aims to reach patients earlier, supporting everyone to make the healthy choice the easy choice and help prevent illness.”
Vaping
Councillor Mishal, who is also Chair of the Tobacco Alliance Group, said concerns are now growing over vaping, and has this advice: "We don't quite know the full extent, the full affects of vaping on the unborn child.
"We're still learning about the impact of vaping on young people, who are doing it a lot, and our advice is don't do it.
"Vaping is also dangerous for ones health. The only kind of caveat is when we want people to quite smoking, vaping is basically one of the best alternatives.
"Vaping is one way to quit smoking but ultimately we say don't smoke, don't vape, and that is the healthiest way if you're pregnant."