Each year, more than 100,000 smokers in the UK die from smoking-related causes. Smoking accounts for more than one-third of respiratory deaths and one-quarter of cancer deaths.

And in 2013, smoking accounted for 79,700 deaths (17 per cent) among adults aged 35 plus in England, according to the NHS Information Centre. Around half of all regular smokers die prematurely, losing on average around 10 years of life, says ASH.

This all comes at a price for the NHS. For every death caused by smoking, approximately 20 smokers are suffering from a smokingrelated illness, which costs England's NHS around £2 billion a year, according to ASH. And in 2012-13, the Government spent £87.7 million on services to help people stop smoking and a further £58.1 million on stop smoking medication.

Passive smoking is also far from harmless, with children being particularly affected. This is because they breathe more heavily and therefore inhale more pollutants per pound of body weight than adults.

According to ASH's report: The health effects of exposure to secondhand smoke, exposure to secondhand smoke increases a young infant's risk of developing lower respiratory tract infections by around 50 per cent, middle ear infections by up to 60 per cent, and wheeze and asthma by 30 to 70 per cent and 21 to 85 per cent respectively.

Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of infant mortality by around 40 per cent. It can also cause complications during labour and an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and low birth weight.