Smokers are more worried about the stigma of their habit than their health, with research showing they are increasingly likely to hide their addiction and feel guilty about it.
This finding, after Cancer Council of WA research into the emotional and social aspects of smoking, forms the basis of a new campaign aimed at encouraging guilty smokers to quit.
It is a shift from traditional anti-smoking advertisements that warn smokers of health dangers.
"Smokers who are still at it have resisted the messages of previous campaigns, so we really had to take a different approach," Cancer Council WA education and research director Terry Slevin said.
Seeing smokers standing around a corner or dustbins and not having much fun was the image the campaign would push.
The research found smokers were increasingly likely to hide the habit from new acquaintances and feel guilty about the effects of their habit on friends and family.
Advertisements would focus on how the community viewed smoking and asked smokers "how they are seen".
"We all know what's good to do for ourselves but often the stronger motivation is what is good to do that benefits other people and that's what this campaign is relying on," Mr Slevin said.
Father-of-three Kim Clayforth said he tried everything to kick his pack-a-day habit before the birth of his first child inspired him to quit.
"I tried the patches, the tablets, hypnosis, nicotine gum, you name it," he said.
"The moment I saw the baby I thought, 'One day this child is going to be 18 or getting married and I want to be around to enjoy it'."
Mr Clayforth said he was able to quit cold turkey once he had such a strong personal motivation. "You don't wake up one day and say, 'It's a bit too expensive' or something like that, you have to have a reason (to quit)," he said.
