Band 9: The tables below show people’s reasons for giving up smoking, and when they intend to give up. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The tables provide information on smokers’ main reasons for wanting to quit and their intended timeframe for doing so, with figures broken down according to the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

Overall, improving general health was by far the most common reason for quitting, while the majority of smokers intended to give up within a year. Notably, lighter smokers were more likely than heavier smokers to plan to quit.

Regarding the reasons, 71% of smokers cited better general health, making this the dominant motivation. Financial considerations ranked second at 31%, followed by reducing the risk of smoking-related illnesses (25%). Present health problems and family pressure were less frequently mentioned, at 12% and 16%, respectively. Interestingly, financial concerns were particularly significant among those smoking 10-19 cigarettes daily (36%).

As for intentions, 71% of smokers planned to quit, compared with 29% who had no such intention. The largest proportion (35%) expected to stop within six months, while 21% planned to do so within a year and 12% within a month. Among lighter smokers, 79% intended to quit, compared with only 60% of those smoking at least 20 cigarettes per day.