A third of smokers have admitted to sabotaging another person’s attempt to quit, research suggests.
Jealousy, guilt about their own habit and wanting a smoking “buddy” were among the reasons cited for ruining other people’s quitting attempts.
The data, collated from 6,300 current and former smokers by Pfizer as part of its Don’t Go Cold Turkey campaign, shows that 31 per cent of smokers admitted being saboteurs.
The study also found that 72 per cent of smokers who have tried to quit think someone tried to overthrow their attempts.
On average, smokers said they tried to kick the habit at least three times. One in five said they had tried five times or more.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP, said: “Beating a smoking addiction is hard enough without the negative influence of others around you casting doubt on your quit attempt.”
Even a brief conversation with a healthcare professional or stop-smoking service could increase smokers’ chances of success by up to four times, compared to going cold turkey, she added. – (PA)