Smoking makes your skin grey, your teeth yellow, gives you bad breath, not to mention the huge amount of diseases it can give you, and what’s more it causes a huge dent to your bank account.

Surely now, as we are in an economic crisis, it’s a better time than ever to stop smoking to save your body and your wallet. But is this really the case? Are money worries enough to make people stub out their butts forever?

A third year, International student at Kingston University studying biomedical science, Kieran Manjani, said: “I have been smoking for about 5 or 6 years and I wouldn’t say that the recession has affected the amount I smoke. I’m addicted. Although I have the changed the type of cigarette I smoke I used to smoke gold but have switched to silver, which saves me around 50 pence per packet. The recession has not encouraged me to give up though, in this stressful time with all the money worries and with exams too I would say I am smoking more.”

Cigarettes are as addictive as heroin or cocaine, according to the Royal College of Physicians. Even though cigarettes cost over five pounds a packet, battling their addiction is a hurdle smokers have to overcome, in order to save them money in this hard time.

Recent research to mark No Smoking Day on the 11th March 2009 showed that than 1 in 3 (more than 36 per cent) of the 9 million smokers in the UK, are thinking about or planning to cut down, or quit as a direct result of the economic downturn.

BBC’s Dragon’s Den star, Duncan Bannatyne, who is also No Smoking Day’s President, commented on the findings on the No Smoking day website and said: “Everybody is feeling the pinch during the current recession, for smokers who can spend over two thousand pounds a year on cigarettes it is particularly tough, so for those who are ready to quit, there has never been a better time.”

The fact that people are ‘thinking’ about doing these things does not necessarily mean that they have the will power to go through with it as much as they would like to for both the health benefits and saving money.

Ed Hudson, counsellor and shift leader at QUIT, the UK charity that has helped over two million smokers, said: “It is a catch 22 situation really, as people smoke because they are stressed about money in the recession, but ultimately they would save money if they gave up, but if they are addicted it is hard. Currently people are too stressed and so it is not a good time to stop. I think that people who smoke see a cigarette as an object that helps them through a stressful time, a prop in a time of crisis, and so for a lot of people, they still want that prop to get them through the tough times.”

The cost of tobacco increases every year, as was the case in this year’s budget, set by the chancellor Alistair Darling, in which cigarette duty rates went up by two per cent, even with this added cost, this does not seem to have been a deterrent for people smoking.

A spokesman, Neil Rafferty, for Forest, the pro-smoking group ‘the voice and friend of the smoker’ said: “In the budget this year, tobacco went up less than people expected, so it has not discouraged people to buy cigarettes. Essentially smokers are creatures of habit, and it is part of their daily routine to buy cigarettes so in this time although it is obvious that you will save money by not smoking, people are stressed and so I do not think that smoking is a part of their livelihoods that they want to compromise.”

Counsellor for QUIT, Obalell Omoding, who speakers to smokers wanting to stop, spoke of his experience of people smoking again, due to the stress of the recession, he said: “I have spoken to a lot of people who had managed to stop but have relapsed because their stress levels are high and it has meant they have taken it up again. Life is extremely hard for them at the moment. I think that people are having to put off stopping smoking for the time being, people say ‘I would be lying to myself if I thought I could give up at this moment in time.’ I think that the biggest problem is people relapsing back into smoking again.”

A recurring theme is that people are still smoking not only because of addiction but to help alleviate stress; the fact of the matter is that smoking only temporarily relieves stress, as the effects of the nicotine soon wear off, leaving withdrawal symptoms such as feeling tense, according to Cancer Research UK. In reality people are smoking during the credit crunch, despite the cost increase of cigarettes, it is just damaging their pockets and their health and not actually lowering stress levels as they might believe.

Saving money is one advantage of quitting smoking but many people are unaware of the many horrific health consequences of smoking. 5,000 amputations are carried out in the UK every year due to flesh rotting gangrene, which can be caused by continuous smoking, resulting in the amputation of the toes, feet or limbs, and every hour 12 people in the UK die from a smoking related illness. Along with money concerns, people should be considering the damages they are self-inflicting upon themselves with every cigarette they smoke.

Steve Crone, Chief Executive of QUIT, said: “Smoking is an addiction; it is not easy for the majority of smokers to quit. Sadly in a recession it is the people who need to quit most for financial reasons that seem to be the ones who increase their daily intake. Smoking is the last thing many smokers will give up, some would rather go without food so they still have the money for cigarettes.”

Although in the grand scheme of things, quitting smoking would save people money and in the current climate it seems a sensible thing to do, but having an addiction such as smoking it easier said than done to kick the habit. It takes more than will power alone to stop, as Mr. Crone added: “Everyone needs will power to stop, but that is not enough. Only three per cent of people quit using willpower alone. If they use a clinically proven treatment, such as a nicotine replacement therapy patch, and get support such as speaking to a QUIT counsellor they will increase their odds by four times.”

It would seem sensible that in a time when people are concerned about money for them to give up a costly habit, but the reality is that people believe that smoking relieves their stress in the current climate. The majority of smokers are addicted and therefore find it too much of a struggle during the recession to give it up in order to save money.

If you are considering quitting you can visit the website: www.quit.org.uk  or call the QUIT line for advice on 0800 00 22 00.