They say that quitting smoking is the hardest thing to do, now new research underlines just how difficult it can be. Just six per cent of people who try to stub out their nicotine habit actually succeed in doing so, the study found, according to Daily Mail.

This is despite more than two thirds of people who smoke wanting to quit because they know it is bad for them. White men and women were more likely to succeed but having a university education and seeking help or taking medication regardless of your race gave you the best shot.

The U.S. study found that nearly 69 per cent of adult smokers wanted to quit last year, and more than half tried. But when asked how many actually achieved their goal, the numbers plummeted.

Those with a university-level degree were most likely to quit with a success rate of 8.9 per cent.

Those who did not stay on in higher education had just a 3.2 per cent success rate.

Among black men nearly 76 per cent wanted to stop and 59 per cent tried but just 3.3 per cent succeeded, the lowest rate across ethnicities. Six per cent of white men and women by comparison kicked the habit.