“I find smokers more generous, more cynical and more up for a laugh,” says Carol Midgley.

“I admit that I like smokers. Perverse, I know, being attracted to the 21st century’s No 1 lepers, particularly since I’ve never smoked in my life and consider it a septic little habit. But it’s not the cigarettes I’m draw to – it’s the people who smoke them.

A disproportionate number of my friends are nicotine addicts and this must be because I find smokers a bit more, well, interesting, more generous of spirit, more amusingly cynical, more up for a laugh than non-smokers. You can’t imagine a smoker placing their hand over their wine glass and saying: “no more for me, thanks. I have to be up early for my Pilates class.” And they are unlikely to be vain since they obviously don’t mind developing grey skin and a mouth like a cat’s arse. And you can’t ask for more than that in a friend.”