Almost a quarter of smokers say they only have a social habit despite the fact many smoke six to 20 cigarettes a day, a poll suggests.
A survey of 2,000 smokers found 24% class themselves as social smokers, but more than one in three of these buy up to a packet a day.
Around 60% of all those questioned said they have tried giving up in the past, with women being slightly more likely than men to have attempted quitting.
One in six of those who had tried to stop smoking succeeded for over a year, but then went back to their old habits.
Some 13% said part of the reason they took up smoking again was because their friends smoked and they did not like being left alone on nights out.
Other reasons included the effects of alcohol, a football team losing and because the smoker did not want to miss out on socialising with colleagues.
Of those who did go back to smoking, 47% said they had initially cut down how much they smoked.
The poll also found that 54% of smokers admitted to smoking in banned areas, such as indoors in public spaces.
One in six said this was because it was too wet and cold to smoke outside, while 14% took the risk because the area was not policed very well and one in 10 did so because they had never been asked to stub out their cigarette.
Catherine Cox, primary care manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy, which conducted the poll, said: “Many smokers are convincing themselves they are consuming less tobacco than they actually are by classing their habit as a ‘social’ one.
“People see it as more acceptable to be a social smoker than admitting they regularly light up each day.”