NIPPING out for a quick smoke is about to become even quicker. Philip Morris, the tobacco giant, is planning a “snack-size” cigarette for the smoking-ban age.

The compact cigarette will be shorter than existing brands but just as smoky: it will deliver the same potency while taking less time to puff.

Marlboro Intense is designed to appeal to employees who are forced to take quick outdoor cigarette breaks while at work, often in cold weather.

Philip Morris will test the cigarette in Turkey but believes it has worldwide potential, with more than 50 countries now having bans on smoking in public places.

The cigarette, which is 7.2cm long, compared with the normal 8.5cm, may offer some solace to smokers who face an even colder trip for their breaks if MEPs have their way.

Last week, as part of the battle to combat climate change, MEPs demanded a ban on patio heaters, which many outdoor smokers rely on for warmth at work or while socialising.

Stephen Pound, the MP who voted against the ban and then stopped smoking the next day, said: “The desperation of the smokers knows no limits; it’s only matched by the desperation in Philip Morris trying to corner the market.”

A spokesman for Forest, the pro-smoking lobby group, said: “The real pity is that smokers have to be rushed at all because people enjoy the sensation of having a cigarette.”

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