The tables illustrate the main reasons why people want to give up smoking and the timeframes in which they intend to quit, categorized by the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Overall, improving general health is the most common reason for quitting across all groups, while heavier smokers are less likely to give up smoking. In addition, most smokers plan to quit within six months rather than immediately or in the long term.
When improving general health and financial considerations are taken into account, it is clear that these are among the most common motivations for quitting smoking. The proportion of people citing general health is particularly high, accounting for 71% overall and reaching 74% among those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes per day. Financial reasons are also an important factor, representing 31% overall, while concerns about smoking-related illness are reported by about a quarter of smokers. In contrast, only 16% giving up smoking due to family pressures, and those quitting because of existing health problems make up the smallest group, at 12% of the total.
Regarding the intentions to quit, 71% of smokers overall plan to give up smoking, whereas the remaining 29% do not. Heavy smokers (20 or more cigarettes per day) are the least likely to quit, with only 60% intending to quit, compares to over 70% of those light smokers. In terms of timing, 35% of smokers plan to quit within the next 6 months, while smaller proportions expect to do so within the next month (12%) or the following year (21%).