Smoking rates in Caerphilly County Borough have hit a seven-year low, figures show.
Campaign group Action on Smoking and Health Wales has welcomed the drop but warns that more than 450,000 people in the country continue to light up.
It says the problem is worst in Wales’ most deprived areas, and adds that reducing smoking should remain a major public health priority.
The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that 17.6% of people aged 18 and over in Caerphilly were smokers last year.
It was the lowest smoking rate for seven years – in 2012, it was 22.1%.
Of the non-smokers in Caerphilly, 26.2% had kicked the habit and 56.2% had never lit up.
Caerphilly reflects the trend across Wales, where the smoking rate also hit a seven-year low, at 15.9%.
Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, said she hoped the results reflected a shift in attitudes towards smoking.
She said: “Smoking is responsible for thousands of deaths in Wales every year, at a huge cost to the country’s NHS, not to mention the devastating impact on families.
“We are encouraged to hear smoking rates have fallen and believe this is due to a combination of factors, including smoking bans, smoke free spaces, and the rise in the popularity of e-cigarettes as a smoking substitute.
“It is our hope that these changes reflect a change in attitudes towards smoking, which was once perceived as a normal lifestyle choice but is now viewed by many as a life-threatening addiction which destroys lives.”
The smoking rate across Wales was lower than that across Scotland (16.3%), but higher than it was across England (14.4%).
The national figures show unemployed people were almost twice as likely to smoke as those with jobs.
Ms Cass added: “We cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to tobacco control.
“Smoking remains a major cause of health inequalities, poverty and death in Wales, with prevalence still highest in our most deprived communities.”
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