The vast majority of people who have smoked regret it, according to a new survey.
Most people take up smoking in their teens – and choose brands used by friends and family, according to the survey conducted for Cancer Research UK.
Pollsters YouGov surveyed more than 4,000 people including some 1,700 smokers and former smokers.
They found that 85 per cent of smokers regretted taking up the habit – and 75 per cent began in their teenage years.
Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director of tobacco control, said: "This survey shows just how addictive tobacco can be with most smokers wishing they’d never started in the first place. With so many smokers starting at a young age, everything possible must be done to remove the remaining forms of tobacco marketing via glitzy, colourful cigarette packs that are designed to attract young people.
“Tobacco is highly addictive and is very hard to quit – especially if people have started at such a young age. And we know smoking kills one in two long term users."
Mary Beecham, aged 62, from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, says: “I started smoking when I was 14 because it was the thing to do and I wanted to fit in and look the part. If I’d realised how hard it would be to stop I would never have started in the first place.
"I’ve tried to give up several times but it’s an addiction I can’t break."
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