‘The best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking completely and to quit for good’

‘The HSE is at the forefront of tackling the harm caused by tobacco in Ireland, and is the largest provider of QUIT support services to smokers. We welcome any measure that will help reduce the tens of thousands of people disabled, killed or bereaved by cigarettes each year, and want to help every smoker to QUIT. While e-cigarettes are a new and potentially helpful addition to the many proven QUIT supports and products available – the Health Service can only endorse products that are proven to be safe, and proven to be effective; e-cigarettes have not yet achieved either test.’

Dave Molloy, HSE National Tobacco Lead

Ireland is recognised as a world leader in tobacco control, and has successfully reduced smoking prevalence over the last ten years from 28% to 19.5%.  However, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of chronic disease and mortality in Ireland; responsible for a range of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and with over 5,200 people dying each year, or 14 each day, from tobacco related disease. There are over 700,000 smokers in Ireland and 1 in 2 smokers wil die from tobacco related disease, on average loosing 10 years of life.

Ireland’s tobacco control policy ‘Tobacco Free Ireland’ set a goal for Ireland to be ‘Tobacco Free by 2025’, meaning a smoking prevalence of less than 5%. Treating tobacco dependence as a care issue by providing treatment and supporting smokers to quit are essential elements in meeting this goal, and reducing the level of disease and deaths caused by smoking.

Tobacco Dependence

Tobacco dependence is caused by an addiction to the nicotine in tobacco products. Quitting tobacco is not easy. Most people have to try many times before they are able to quit for good.Tobacco dependence is classified internationally as a chronic relapsing disease, has serious health consequences and needs to be treated as such. In treating tobacco dependence health professionals use a range of safe evidence-based services, supports and medications to help smokers quit.