GREEN SPACES CUT LIKELIHOOD OF SMOKING, STUDY SHOWS

People who live in green areas are less likely to smoke or continue smoking, new research has found, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

The survey of 8,000 people in Britain links access to green spaces to a reduced probability of smoking and a higher likelihood of quitting smoking, dpa added. 

People who smoked at some point in their lives were 12 per cent more likely to quit if they lived near green spaces, according to the study published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. The new study is the first one that explicitly links "a higher proportion of green spaces to reduced unhealthy behaviours," said Sabine Pahl, co-author and specialist for urban and environmental psychology at the University of Vienna. 

The findings of the study conducted by the universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Vienna also held after taking into account participants' socio-economic background. Earlier studies by the same researchers found that a view of nature and green landscapes reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes and unhealthy food. Evidence has emerged that looking at nature reduces stress levels and increases wellbeing. The researchers argue that increasing green spaces could be an effective public health strategy and especially help reduce the proportion of smokers in society.