New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Around 20 percent of professionals working with the corporate sector smoke, a survey by a private hospital said here Thursday.

 
 The study by Max Healthcare spanned 500 executives and was conducted among two age groups of 19-35 years and 36-45 years.
 
 “One in five professionals of any corporate firm smoke. Of these, one in five does not want to quit,” the report said.
 
 Participatory organisations included GE Capital, IFFCO, Wipro, Spice BPO and I-Energizer.
 
 Predominantly, the population of smokers falls in the 19-35 years age group. This being the most productive phase, the health consequences are more severe, making the cost of care to company much higher, the survey said.
 
 Interestingly, 40 percent respondents said they were not aware of areas in their work premises where smoking was allowed.
 
 Around 67 percent employees were ignorant about cessation options.