New Yorkers have been quiting smoking — and their eight-year dip in lighting up has been accompanied by a 17 percent drop in smoking-related deaths, the city reported yesterday.

The adult smoking rate toppled 27 percent from 2002 to 2009 — and smoking-related deaths fell from about 8,700 to 7,200, the city’s Health Department said.

“We have reduced the number of adult smokers by 350,000 and prevented thousands of premature deaths,” said city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

About 6,300 lives were saved during the period as the smoking rate declined, officials said.

“The death rate should continue to fall for many years, as the city maintains its aggressive anti-tobacco initiatives and New Yorkers reap the long-term health benefits of not smoking,” the Health Department said in a written statement.

The new analysis was released as Mayor Bloomberg continues his unwavering campaign against smoking.

In 2002, taking a drag was banned in bars and restaurants. Last month, Bloomberg proposed expanding the ban to make public parks and public beaches smoke-free.

The Health Department’s analysis of smoking-related mortality data found the biggest drops involved cardiovascular disease, down 27 percent; cancer, down 9 percent, and respiratory disease, down 12 percent.

The city said that in 2009, there were about 964,000 smokers 18 and older in the five boroughs.

(Source: NY Post)