Two thirds of UK smokers, the equivalent of 6 million people, will try and quit in January but half will have failed within just one week according to a new survey among 6,300 current or former smokers commissioned by Pfizer Limited , which also revealed that one in ten parents admit to raiding their own child's piggy bank to buy cigarettes.

The most popular method to quit smoking is going cold turkey - trying to give up immediately using willpower alone (45 per cent). However, research suggests this is the least effective method with only three per cent remaining smoke-free after one year. Those who seek help from a healthcare professional or local stop smoking service increase their chances of quitting by up to four times compared to going it alone.

With nicotine being highly addictive, it's no wonder that of the 73 per cent of smokers saying they want to quit, almost half do not believe they will be able to do so successfully. Furthermore, less than one in five current smokers have sought advice from a healthcare professional before attempting to quit.

Revealing the extent of nicotine addiction among many current smokers, 41% have admitted to stealing a cigarette from a friend, while over a quarter (26%) have smoked the remains of a previously discarded butt because they had run out. Furthermore, one in five (19 per cent) have picked apart a broken or half finished cigarette to fashion a new one to fuel their addiction.