Smoking – A Big Turn Off

A recent survey, conducted by the Department of Health (DoH), shows that people who smoke could potentially be limiting their romantic chances of meeting someone, because the majority of the population find smoking off putting.


The DoH says to boost your chances of dating success this Valentine’s Day (February 14^th) quit smoking!

The poll surveyed 1,700 people, of which, half claimed that they would think twice about starting a serious relationship with a smoker.   Three-quarters of people aged between 18 and 24 said they would not kiss someone who had just smoked and agreed that smoking makes people less attractive.

The BBC news also pointed out that anecdotal reports from dating agencies appear to support the evidence reported by the DoH that people, in search of a partner, really did prefer non-smokers.

Popular relationship websites such as eHarmony.co.uk states that eighty-one percent of its members would not partner with a heavy smoker.  Similarly, at Match.com seventy-two percent of male members and seventy-three percent of female members, specified that they wanted a “non-smoking” partner.  At Mysinglefriend.com over half of its members (sixty-seven percent) said that smoking would put them off dating someone.

Sarah Beeny, founder of Mysinglefriend.com said; "It's particularly obvious that non-smokers find it harder to live with a smoker, so by giving up you not only increase your dating market, but protect the years you have together when you do settle down."

Statistics complied by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH.org.uk) shows that currently in the United Kingdom, more than ten million people smoke and it is estimated that half of these are likely to die from smoking-related diseases if they do not stop.  Every year, over 100,000 smokers die from smoking related diseases.

The DoH suggests that by quitting smoking, people could increase their life expectancy by 16 years.

We are all aware of the harmful affects of smoking to our health, and although the evidence suggests that in our quest for love, people do prefer partners who are non-smokers, the bottom line is that people need to make positive health changes for themselves. 

For advice on stopping smoking visit the NHS Choices website and see the benefits you can make to your help