One in four smokers has pulled out of social engagements in order to save money for cigarettes, while one in 10 has cut back on their grocery spending for the same reason, a new survey has found.

The survey was carried out in six European countries, including Ireland, where 1,000 people were questioned about their smoking spending habits. It revealed that 10% reduced their spending on food so that they would have more money for cigarettes, while 24% pulled out of social engagements.

A further 22% admitted that they have to cut back on the amount they spend on holidays, while 35% do not eat out as much in order to fund their smoking habit.

At least half of the Irish smokers surveyed said they spend between €50 and €100 per week on their habit.

Dan Dineen (47), a plumber from Lucan in Dublin quit smoking in January. At the peak of his addiction, he smoked up to 60 cigarettes per day, at a cost of €800 per month. During the economic downturn, he chose to sell his Harley Davidson motorbike rather than quit the habit.

"Due to financial issues I chose to sell my beloved Harley rather than to give up smoking. It broke my heart. I wanted to stop smoking but I didn't want to quit. I wanted to have more money in my pocket. I wanted to be a better person, look better, smell better and feel better. People used to say I looked like a walking corpse, grey and gaunt," he said.

At the start of the year, he decided to quit smoking, a decision he admits ‘wasn't easy'.

"But I kept reminding myself that I was making huge improvements to my own health, my quality of life as well as that of my family. My wife and I recently had a week's holiday, pretty much paid for by money saved by not smoking. That's a good swap in my opinion," he added.

Commenting on the survey, which was commissioned by Pfizer, Dr Ciara Kelly, a GP who appears on RTE's Operation Transformation, reminded people that one in two smokers will die from a smoking-related illness.

"We see that the majority of smokers would prefer to be non-smokers, but such is the strength of their addiction, many are not succeeding to escape its clutches. Healthcare professionals are here to help rather than pass judgement and in fact, smokers are four times more likely to quit long-term if they seek support and treatment from their doctor," she pointed out.

Smoking-related illnesses currently cost Irish taxpayers an estimated €1-2 billion per year.

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