A QUARTER of smokers spend more time thinking about giving up than who will win the Premier League or where their next holiday will be.
The poll of 1,500 smokers found 18 per cent give more thought to quitting than their finances or even what to cook for dinner.
More than six in 10 (63 per cent) want to quit cigarettes to improve their health, while 59 per cent want to save money.
And of the 53 per cent planning go give up once and for all, 43 per cent intend to quit this October.
The research was commissioned as part of the ‘IQOS No Smoke Index’, an ongoing research project designed to better understand the challenges faced by UK smokers attempting to quit cigarettes.
More than half (55 per cent) said going ‘cold turkey’ was their preferred option for attempting to quit, while 29 per cent plan to use smoke free alternatives, such as vapes.
However, 76 per cent have previously tried and failed to quit in the past, with attempts lasting an average of just eight-and-a-half days before they returned to cigarettes.
IQOS commissioned the study after recently launching ILUMA, which uses induction technology to heat, not burn, real tobacco and claims to emit 95 per cent less harmful chemicals versus cigarettes with no smoke or ash.
Harry Wake from the brand said: “The results tell us that quitting cigarettes can dominate thoughts over so many everyday things, from what’s for dinner that night to how your team might get on in the football.”
“October provides a point in the calendar for smokers to really commit to their intention to quit smoking for good.
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“However, whilst everyone knows the best thing any smoker can do is to stop smoking completely – for those that don’t use October as a springboard for quitting they should consider switching to less harmful alternatives.
“When switching to a less harmful smoke-free alternative, smokers can also save up to £3000 per year – it’s a win win, less harmful to health and better for wealth.”
Tips to stop smoking
Though it can seem easier said than done, you can begin to see immediate improvements to your health if you quit smoking, according to the NHS.
And with Stoptober in full swing, there are thousands of Brits committing to giving up the habit.
The first few days might be excruciating, but if you "stop smoking for 28 days and you're five times more likely to give up for good," NHS guidance said.
The first thing you need to do is throw away all your cigarettes – there's no such thing as 'just one cigarette' .
The NHS recommends you:
- List your reasons to quit
- Tell people you're quitting
- If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked
- Use stop smoking aids like nicotine patches, sprays, gum and lozenges or nicotine vapes – ask a pharmacist for advice
- Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke
- List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them
- Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy
- Exercise away the urge
- Get support – find your local Stop Smoking Service, enlist the help of friends or join a Facebook Group
You can also get a free 'personal quit plan' just by answering three questions.
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It comes after Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to raise the smoking age every year so no child currently under 14 will ever be allowed to buy cigarettes.
The Government hopes the crackdown will see 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075, against the current 6.4 million.
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