THE latest developments about the state of our lungs highlight the need to tackle smoking.

Lung cancer deaths among women are rising quicker in Nottingham than in other parts of the country.

And efforts are being made across Nottinghamshire to tackle high rates of another range of lung conditions, known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Experts will be visiting COPD hotspots in areas such as Arnold, Gamston and Mansfield to test those at highest risk of deadly diseases such as emphysema.

A common denominator in both is smoking, a habit which leads to the majority of lung cancer and COPD deaths.

In the case of women's lung cancer deaths, the recent rise can be blamed on historically high smoking rates going back to the 1970s.

This means Nottingham's current smoking rate of 39% among adults is a major concern for those interested in the city's future health.

The NHS has recently joined with the city council and other agencies to make tackling smoking a priority.

Illicit and under-age tobacco sales are being targeted and the city's smoking cessation teams are doing excellent work in helping people quit.

But with 59% of adults still smoking in some parts of Nottingham, it's clear improvements can't come soon enough.

A failure to act now could mean the city's legacy of ill-health continuing for many years to come.