Match.com and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) today announced results from a recent survey showing that single smokers may want to consider breaking up with their cigarettes as they look for that special someone this year.  Nearly 9 out of 10 (89 percent) respondents said they prefer not to date someone who smokes, and when asked which actions were unacceptable on a first date, more said taking a smoke break (51 percent) than checking one’s phone (45 percent) or being late (40 percent). 

 

"Our survey revealed fascinating information.  Just as many smokers trying to quit look forward to not having ‘smokers breath’ in intimate situations as they do breathing better," said Bela Gandhi, Match.com relationship expert and founder of the Smart Dating Academy.  “The key to finding love starts with feeling great about yourself.  Achieving anything big in life, like quitting smoking or finding love, requires making a plan and sticking to it.”

 

Given recent New Year’s resolutions and Valentine’s Day around the corner, a new program, “We Heart Quitters,” aims to help 

 

Americans understand the benefits of quitting smoking and empowering them with the tools to make a quit plan.  People can visit www.WeHeartQuitters.com to download tips and resources to help quit and information about a non-nicotine prescription treatment option. 

 

The survey of Match.com members also found:

•Fifty seven percent of respondents said they would never date a smoker.

•The top concerns about dating a smoker were the smokers’ long-term health (78 percent), the smell of cigarettes on their person (75 percent) or in their home/vehicle (80 percent) and their own personal health (62 percent).

•When it comes to being a good kisser, 78 percent of respondents think fresh breath is the top attribute; 78 percent also said they mind kissing a smoker after they have had a cigarette.

 

“Most smokers want to quit. They just need the confidence to believe they can,” said Mitchell Nides, PhD, Director, Picture Quitting, the entertainment industry’s Quit Smoking Program.  “Quitting can be tough, but we have tools to help make a person’s quit attempt easier.  If you want to quit, a great place to start is talking to your health care provider to learn about these tools, including medications and practical strategies for dealing with urges to smoke.” 

 

For those people who are ready to quit smoking, visit the Quit Resources/Talk to a Doctor area of WeHeartQuitters.com to connect with a health care provider online. 

 

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the nation, and an estimated 45.3 million U.S. adults (or 19.3 percent) aged 18 and older smoke.  Each year, more than 400,000 people in the U.S. die from illnesses related to tobacco use – that’s more than 1,200 people a day. 

 

About The Survey

This survey was conducted online by Match.com among its U.S. membership between November 30 and December 6, 2013.  It included 1,020 people aged 21+, regardless of their smoking status.  Data for this survey were tested for statistical difference at a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of ±3.1 percent. 

 

About Match.com

Founded in 1995, Match.com was the original dating website and pioneer of the online dating industry.  Today, 18 years later, Match.com operates leading subscription-based online dating sites in 25 countries, 8 languages and across five continents and is responsible for more dates, relationships and marriages than any other website.  Match.com is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI) and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  For more information, visit http://www.match.com.

 

About Pfizer Inc.

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives.  We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products.  Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products.  Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time.  Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world.  For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.  To learn more, please visit us at www.pfizer.com. 

 

Disclosure: Bela Gandhi and Dr. Mitchell Nides are paid spokespeople on behalf of “We Heart Quitters” and Pfizer Inc.