Nearly a quarter of smokers have delayed their plans to quit

A further 28 per cent of smokers in the report by Ipsos Mori said they were too stressed to make a successful attempt to quit in the last six months, blaming work and financial worries. Other findings revealed smokers were more likely to cut down their spending on clothes and the supermarket shop than stop buying cigarettes.

Jennifer Perceival, Tobacco Policy Advisor at the Royal College of Nursing, London says, ‘This study shows that over two million people are delaying quit plans and exposing themselves to the harmful effects of smoking for longer than they need to. We know that the earlier people quit, the better, so we need to make sure that those who are delaying quit plans are being offered effective options and support to help them to stop smoking successfully.’