1 in 3 Would End their Relationship if their Partner Refused to Quit Smoking

Smoking cigarettes is rapidly becoming the least sexy addiction going. While once it was considered cool to be deemed a ‘smoker’, these days it’s more likely to earn you a swipe left or an early end to your first date. Since 2011, the number of smokers has fallen from 20% of the UK to just 14%.

We conducted research to see the effect that smoking cigarettes is having on people’s dating lives and relationships. Shockingly, it revealed that more than 1 in 3 non-smokers (36%) say that they would end their relationship or marriage if their partner refused to quit smoking.

Dating Turn-offs

Many people are moving away from smoking cigarettes and using quitting aids like nicotine patches, gum, and vape pens in order to reduce their nicotine intake and end their habit for good. Interestingly, 29% of respondents said that they would prefer to date someone who vapes than someone who smokes, and over half of respondents (54%) said that they would prefer to date someone who does neither.

When asked to rank their top dating turn-offs, smoking came second with over a quarter (26%) saying it would be their biggest turn-off in a partner - beating jealousy (4%) and bad pick up lines (1%).

The number one turn-off was smelling bad, which means that if you stink of stale smoke - you could be risking your love life!


TOP TURN-OFFs	% OF RESPONDENTS
Smelling bad	40%
Smoking	26%
Swearing	11%
Lack of sense of humour	6%
Fashion sense	5%
Jealousy	4%
Tattoos	3%
Lack of ambition	2%
Piercings	2%
Bad flirting/pick up lines	1%

Smoking Causing Breakups

It’s not just first dates and Tinder swipes that are being affected - shockingly, more than 1 in 3 (36%) non-smokers said that they would consider breaking up with their partner, and even divorcing them, if they refused to quit smoking.

Interestingly, millennials were the age group most likely to consider not quitting a deal-breaker, with a huge 43% saying that they would end a relationship or marriage if their partner refused to quit smoking.

It seems that some smokers are aware that their habits are causing problems, as 17% of smokers said that someone has refused to date them because of the habit, and more than 1 in 5 (21%) smokers admitted to hiding their addiction from a partner.

Women are the most likely to hide their habit from a partner, with 38% admitting to doing this, compared with just 18% of male respondents. Women are also more likely to be rejected due to being a smoker, as 29% said they have been told that their habit means they are undatable - compared with just 13% of men experiencing this.