'Social smoking' on the rise amongst Britons

Almost a quarter of British adults admits to smoking socially, new research has found, though only 15.5% of the population consider themselves a smoker.

'Social smokers' are people who will smoke occasionally, the majority of which do not have the desire to smoke on their own and prefer to do it whilst out with friends.

Of the 1,615 Britons aged between 18 and 45 surveyed by Vapourlites, 24% identified as social smokers, with those numbers darting up to 48% for women and 52% for men between 18 and 25 years.

Last year, the Office for National Statistics calculated that 7.6m or 15.8% of the population smoked, rising from 15.5% of adults in England to 16.9% in Wales, 17.7% in Scotland and 18.1% in Northern Ireland.

When participants were asked for their reasoning behind deciding to indulge in the occasional cigarette, 42% said they enjoyed the effect of nicotine, which halts the supply of oxygen to the brain, producing a light-headed feeling.

A further 31% saw it as an excuse to go outside, and 19% claimed social pressures as the motivation behind their habit.

As to why they only smoked in social situations, 67% of those who took part in the study cited concerns for their health, and a further 17% said the cost of cigarettes was enough to dissuade them.

Jamie, a 44-year old social smoker from London, said he "only smokes when he drinks," reflecting statements made by 11% of participants that cigarettes "did not appeal to them" when they were sober.

While the majority of social smokers indulge in a cigarette just once or twice a month, a more social 26% said they did it in excess of once a week.

Katherine Shipman, a psychologist who has researched social smoking, pointed out that smokers aren't necessarily addicted to nicotine, and were more so drawn to the act of smoking itself.

"Social smokers aren’t using nicotine to avoid withdrawal symptoms, but instead for the psychoactive effects; the ritual, the sensation of the smoke and the high nicotine provides," said Dr Shipman.

According to the study, women were more likely to be social smokers because of social pressure and fears of being left out. Holly, 25 said, "I will have a cigarette most times I go out, especially if I’m with my friends who smoke and we end up in the smoking area. There’s always a friendly vibe and it’s an area you can actually hear people to have a proper chat."

In contrast, the majority of male respondents said they "enjoy the effect of cigarettes," with some adding smoking made them "feel more drunk."

The ONS found in a survey last year that 5.6% of respondents, equating to around 2.9m people, currently used an e-cigarette.