I think one of the main reasons that more and more people are taking to smoking, knowing very well the health risks involved, is clever advertising. How many movies or television shows have you watched where the hero or the heroin, or the villain or the barman or the taxi driver, or the murderer, is smoking? At some stage or another, you will often find at least one character lighting up.

One method that cigarette manufacturers use to lure females – which I think is a rapidly growing market – is to portray attractive models with a cigarette in hand. The image is on of glamour and sophistication. “If you want to have fun, look cool, sexy and appealing – smoke.” This is the message they want to convey and many people, especially the youngsters, fall for it. At first they experiment, and before long, they are hooked – most often, for life.