Smokers reveal quitting strategies

One in ten smokers have made themselves feel sick by chain-smoking their way through their last pack of cigarettes to try help them stop, a poll suggests.

And 35% have kept away from friends and family who smoke while trying to kick the habit.

The data, collated from 6,200 current and former smokers by Pfizer as part of its Don't Go Cold Turkey campaign, found that a quarter of smokers have avoided drinking any alcohol whilst trying to quit.

On average, smokers said they tried to kick the habit at least four times.

London based GP Dr Sarah Jarvis said: "Many smokers are desperate to quit and will make big sacrifices or take drastic action to try and help them succeed.

"But the vast majority are not taking advantage of the free help available to them from their healthcare professional, which has been shown to significantly increase the chances of success.

"Smokers who are motivated to quit should start by making an appointment at their GP surgery, simply asking for help the next time they see their doctor, nurse or local pharmacist, or using the specialist support available from their local Stop Smoking Service."