According to a Government research, nine out of 10 children hate cigarettes and want their parents who smoke to quit. A poll of 1,000 children aged between eight and 13 found of those with a parent who smokes, 96 per cent wanted them to stop and almost two thirds would give up the chance of extra pocket money if they would.

The research coincides with the launch of a new Department of Health campaign aimed at getting loved ones to stop smoking. It features real children, not actors, talking about how concerned they are about their parents’ smoking.

Professor Terence Stephenson, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said: “This research is extremely significant and we need to look at the health outcomes and effects when adults smoke in the presence of their children.

"It is encouraging to hear that those children who were consulted knew the health risks related to smoking and the harmful effects of people smoking around them.