The HSE’s National Tobacco Control Office today announced the largest annual drop in smoking prevalence in Ireland since 2009. The proportion of the population who are smokers reduced by 2 percentage points, or an estimated 70,000 smokers, during the 12 months of 2014.  Smoking prevalence in people aged 15+ in Ireland for 2014 was 19.5%, compared to 21.5% for 2013.

Dave Molloy, National Tobacco Lead for the HSE said today: ‘The HSE’s National Tobacco Control Office has monitored national smoking prevalence (15 year olds +) every calendar month since 2003, allowing for a robust and consistent trend in that data to be tracked.  Smoking prevalence has reduced from 28% in 2003, to just 19.5% at the end of 2014. The drop of 2 percentage points in 2014 is the largest annual drop in prevalence recorded since 2009, and shows that the comprehensive range of tobacco control measures implemented in Ireland are working.’

‘The HSE’s new QUIT Team service is also showing signs of being best-in-class internationally.  Launched in January 2015, the QUIT Team provide support to quitters over the phone, on Twitter and Facebook, online on QUIT.ie and by live Chat, SMS and email.  We also provide a network of face-to face QUIT services in many locations around the country, who provided cessation support to 8,459 quitters in 2014.’

‘Results from January 2015, the first month of operation of the QUIT Team show a significant increase in the numbers of smokers who contact our service and then sign up to our 12 month support programme compared to January 2014.  This shows that the new service, along with the new website and online programme, is working better for Irish smokers and helping more people to make a quit attempt’.

‘These changes are welcome, but there are still over 700,000 smokers in Ireland, and we see 5,200 tobacco related deaths annually – that’s 15 deaths every day, and 100 families bereaved every week.  Ireland has set a target of being effectively smoke-free – <5% prevalence – by 2025. To achieve this target the Tobacco Free Ireland policy includes a range of tobacco control initiatives to further denormalise smoking, stop our children starting to smoke and help smokers to quit.’

‘Ireland has shown great leadership in Tobacco Control, from the Smoke-Free Workplace and Point-of-Sale legislation, to upcoming plans to introduce standardised packaging and protect children from secondhand smoke in cars.  We also show leadership in the strength of our public campaigns and our integrated support services to help smokers to quit.  Our QUIT campaign ads featuring Gerry Collins have inspired over 200,000 quit attempts since last year, and have been used as a model for similar campaigns in the UK.’

Dave Molloy concluded: ‘We welcome today’s confirmation that smoking prevalence is reducing, and the increased uptake in smokers seeking help to quit.  The HSE and all involved in implementing the Tobacco Free Ireland Strategy intend to accelerate our efforts, in order to ensure fewer people take up smoking, to help more smokers to quit and as a nation achieve tobacco free status by 2025.’

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