More than one in five people smoke in the London boroughs with the worst records for lighting-up.
A total of 22 per cent of adults in Barking and Dagenham, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington and Tower Hamlets smoke regularly - twice the rate of Richmond.
The British Heart Foundation today revealed the stark disparity as it urged the capital’s 1.1 million smokers to quit on No Smoking Day tomorrow.
It said more than 1,000 Londoners were admitted to hospital each week for diseases directly caused by smoking,
Previous research has shown that smokers who use a NHS stop smoking service are up to four times more likely to succeed than those who attempt to quit by themselves.
Havering has the highest rates of smokers who kicked the habit (69 per cent), while Brent has the lowest at 39 per cent.
The boroughs with the lowest proportion of smokers were Richmond, with 11 per cent, and Hounslow and Kingston-upon-Thames with 12 and 13 per cent respectively.
The London boroughs with the highest proportion of smokers
1 Barking and Dagenham 22%
2 Hammersmith and Fulham 22%
3 Islington 22%
4 Tower Hamlets 22%
5 Haringey 21%
6 Lewisham 21%
7 Newham 21%
8 Waltham Forest 21%
9 Hackney 20%
10 Westminster 20%
Dr Mike Knapton, BHF associate medical director, said: “Although the varying prevalence of smoking across London’s boroughs is concerning, the important message is that using stop smoking services significantly increases your chances of kicking the habit for good no matter where you live.”
Andreena Bogle-Walton, 31, from Walthamstow, who quit smoking after 12 years said: "“I used patches and gum and while the first week was really exciting, the second and third weeks were absolutely awful. I had bad mood swings and felt really emotional. Fortunately my smoking cessation advisor was brilliant and kept me on track whenever I felt tempted.
“The buzz I felt over quitting made me determined to change other aspects of my life. People thought I was mad to give up my permanent job to re-train. But my stop smoker advisor had been brilliant and I felt I could help other people in the same way."
