Is smoking ruining your online dating chances?

Before signing up to an online dating site, it is important you do everything possible to make yourself as attractive as possible to those you are trying to secure a date with.

And if you are a smoker, then giving up cigarettes could just be the most effective step you can take towards finding love via the internet.

New figures from mobile app Hinge show men who admitted to being smokers were rejected on online dating sites 89 per cent of the time, making them 61 per cent more likely to fail in their quest to find a suitable partner than those who do not smoke.

Founder of the app Justin McLeod said in an email to the Huffington Post that he is not particularly surprised by the results, particularly as 90 per cent of Hinge's user base is between the ages of 23 and 26.

"Statistically, college graduates smoke less than the general population (11 per cent versus 20 per cent respectively). With 99 per cent of Hinge's users being college educated, we'd anticipate that non-smokers are more likely to be attracted to fellow non-smokers."

Such findings could prove to be a valuable lesson for many people who may be toying with the idea of giving up cigarettes. Doing so could just make you more attractive to fellow singletons and could lead to you more easily landing a date.

While the app's data does not represent the entire population as it is so weighted towards young people, it could be that the trend repeats itself among other age groups.

The Huffington Post even suggested romance might be the greatest incentive yet to give up smoking.

Although it should be remembered it is no guarantee of success, kicking the habit will show you have will power and can make you more pleasant to be around, which can be important to someone meeting you for the first time.