One in 10 smokers are “desperate” to give up, according to a survey, conducted on behalf of the British Heart Foundation’s 30th annual No Smoking Day.
And 82% of 2,000 UK smokers surveyed had tried and failed to quit.
The charity is encouraging smokers to “swap fags for swag” by thinking about how much money they could save if they quit.
Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day could save £2,555 a year if they kicked the habit, a spokeswoman said.
The charity is using a new smartphone app, Blippar, which virtually transforms a cigarette pack into a puff of smoke.
Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the BHF, said: “The tobacco giants are notoriously protective about their slick cigarette packaging - here’s a bit of slick that does some good for once. We need to up our game if we are going to help people beat their addiction to tobacco by finding new ways to reach out to them.”
Around one in five people smoke, according to the charity, and the latest data from the World Health Organisation shows that smoking prevalence in Europe is higher than the rest of the world.
A separate poll, conducted on 2,000 ex and current smokers by Pru Health, found that the average smoker spends 11% of income on tobacco.
Smokers who want help in quitting are encouraged to visit wequit.co.uk or call 0800 434 6677.
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