HEALTH bosses in Barnsley have praised services after it was revealed that smoking in pregnancy rates have reached record low levels.

The number of women smoking during pregnancy in Barnsley has fallen significantly over the last twelve months.

NHS England’s latest Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) data shows that only eight per cent of pregnant women across Barnsley were recorded as smoking in 2024/25.

This represents a 1.7 per cent drop over the past year, building on the great work that has significantly reduced maternal smoking rates over the past decade, falling from 20.5 per cent in 2014/15.

Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “We’re committed to making smoking invisible in Barnsley, working closely with our partners to protect the health of our communities and ensure that local people have the right support to quit for good.

“We know the serious risks associated with smoking for both expectant mothers and their children, so it’s great to see our smoking in pregnancy rates hitting record low levels.

“This is fantastic news for Barnsley, especially for the babies born into smoke-free homes.

“We want to build on this by continuing to improve these figures in the future, which is why we’re committed to continually improving the support we offer to families on their maternity journey.”

All pregnant smokers in Barnsley are offered support to quit as part of their maternity journey, delivered by Barnsley Hospital’s maternity stop smoking service.

Dr Richard Jenkins, chief executive officer at the Gawber Road site, added: “Barnsley Hospital’s maternity stop smoking team have worked hard to build and maintain an incentive scheme to help women stop smoking.

“Since April 2022, 70 women have stopped smoking until their babies are at least eight weeks old, with many more supported to stop during their pregnancy.

“The team also provides support in many other ways, including regular follow-up for women throughout their pregnancy, providing free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), offering information on smoke-free homes and cars, and carrying out home visits and supportive telephone conversations.

“Routine clinical care at Barnsley Hospital includes asking all adults and children over the age of 12 admitted to hospital whether they smoke or vape, treating those who do with NRT, specialist advice and support, helping patients recover more quickly from illness and offering a chance to go on to a smoke-free life.”

The support forms part of the wider work led by the Barnsley Tobacco Control Alliance to make smoking invisible in the borough and ensure communities get the right support to quit.

Anyone who wants to quit smoking is being encouraged to do so by council bosses.

A spokesperson added: “Quitting smoking is one of the best things anyone can do for their health.

“We know this can be challenging, which is why NHS Yorkshire Smokefree Barnsley are here to support residents on their quitting journey.

“They offer expert support to quit and free nicotine replacement therapy options to anyone living or working in Barnsley.

“Find out how their friendly, trained advisors can help you by visiting their website, texting ‘YSF’ to 80800 or calling 0800 612 0011 (free from landlines) or 0330 660 1166 (free from most mobiles).”