Fifth of smoking quitters flop in day

Almost one in five smokers who have tried to kick the habit failed within 24 hours, a survey suggests.

More than half of quit attempts lasted less than a week, according to a poll of 6,200 current or former smokers.

The average smoker tried to quit four times, and one in ten unsuccessfully tried ten times. Despite the repeated failures, 45 per cent think daily about giving. Three in five plan to stub out their last cigarette in January, according to the survey on behalf of Pfizer’s Don’t Go Cold Turkey campaign.

London-based GP Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “I want those who are motivated to quit to consider that even a brief conversation with their healthcare professional can increase their chances of success by up to four times, compared to going cold turkey.”