The Heath Service Executive (HSE) provides services that improve, promote and protect the health and wellbeing of the public. 1 in every 2 smokers will die of a tobacco related disease and on average smokers lose 10 quality years of life. The HSE has adopted a health service wide Tobacco Control Framework (March 2010) to address this single greatest cause of ill health and mortality in the Irish population.

Tobacco Control in the HSE
In line with the international evidence base, the HSE with other state and voluntary agencies engage in a wide range of tobacco control interventions. These include; increasing the price of tobacco through taxation, implementing smoke free policies and regulations, restricting the sale of products, implementing sustained mass media campaigns and education and cessation support programmes, which together have an influence on smoking prevalence.

The Tobacco Control Framework (TCF) which is based on the WHO MPOWER (2008) principles gives strategic direction to Tobacco Control in Ireland and outlines national standards for service provision within Irish Health Services.