As per a new study, less than one-fourth of teenagers in Wales are discouraged to smoke from existing cigarette pack designs.

The British Hearth Foundation found that just 24% of 13 to 18 year olds gave up smoking by the existing packaging as compared to 48% of teenagers in Australia, where packs are almost completely covered by graphic warnings.

About 71% of teenagers in Wales assume that standardized cigarette packs should be introduced across the UK, according to the researchers.

The European Parliament is set to vote on key legislation tomorrow. This would be done so as to see cigarette packs across the EU feature larger graphic health warnings on both sides of the pack.

Every year about 6,000 people are killed because of smoking in Whales. It is expected that the equivalent of a classroom of schoolchildren take up smoking every day.

A per a major report by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Wales, it was found that smoking cost the Welsh economy nearly £800m per year.

The organization said that the amount include £302m spent on healthcare, £288m of lost productivity through premature deaths, £49.5m lost through excess absence due to sickness, £4m lost to businesses through breaks taken for smoking, £25.8m spent clearing up waste related to smoking and £45.4m lost through premature death of non-smokers due to exposure to smoke.