New research shows 19 per cent of Irish population currently smoke

News Article | 02 Mar 2014
  • Ipsos MRBI Research commissioned by Irish Cancer Society shows a 19% smoking rate while 8 out of 10 want to quit

The smoking rate in Ireland is 19 per cent, according to new research carried out by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society. The poll showed that 81 per cent of smokers in Ireland want to quit and more than half of these plan to do so within the next three months. The Irish Cancer Society has released the findings to mark the start of Quit Week, an initiative which aims to encourage smokers to give up and highlight the many benefits of doing so.

1,000 adults were polled in January as part of the research which explored smoking prevalence and attitudes to smoking in Ireland. The study found that the Irish smoking prevalence rate is now 19 per cent demonstrating that Ireland is making good progress in the aim of being Tobacco Free by 2025.

The Irish Cancer Society says it is encouraged by the results of this poll which will ultimately mean fewer people will die unnecessarily as a result of smoking which is the single biggest cause of preventable death in Ireland.

In fact, most smokers want to quit, according to the findings which report that 57 per cent of smokers planning to give up intend to do so in the next three months and 83 per cent within the next year. The main incentive for smokers planning to give up was concern for their future health (71 per cent). Expense was the second most cited reason among smokers planning to give up with 31 per cent saying the price of cigarettes was a factor in their decision to give up, showing the effectiveness of high price in encouraging smokers to quit.  In addition, 62 per cent of all respondents were in favour of a price increase on cigarettes.

Four out of five smokers planning to give up cited family and friends as a key source of support when giving up.  This was followed by support from a GP (69 per cent), pharmacists (67 per cent), the HSE (44 per cent) and Community Support Services (31 per cent).

Kevin O’Hagan, Health Promotion Manager at the Irish Cancer Society said: “This research by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society shows that large numbers of current smokers are planning to quit in the near future. We know that quitting smoking can sometimes seem like a huge challenge but we want smokers to know that there is support available to them. 

In fact, most smokers feel that they have the support of a loved one as they embark on their quitting journey. With this in mind, it’s important that people know how they can help their family and friends who may be looking to stop smoking. They can listen, give practical help and patiently understand the challenge for smokers who are looking to get rid of this serious addiction. Quit week is the perfect time for smokers to set a date for giving up. Quitting is difficult, but with the right support around them, smokers have a greater chance of success.”

At the Irish Cancer Society, we won’t give up until cancer does and those looking to find out how they can quit smoking, or offer support to a smoker to help them quit, please visit our pages about smoking here.

The National Smoker's Quitline, Freefone 1800 201 203, is a partnership between the Health Service Executive and the Irish Cancer Society. Smokers are encouraged to call for information, advice, support and a quit booklet. Information and support is also available through Quit.ie.

About this research

This research was carried out by Ipsos MRBI and commissioned by the Irish Cancer Society. The poll took place in January 2014 via Ipsos MRBI’s telephone Omnibus, Omnipoll. It sampled 1,000 adults, aged 15 and older.

Summary of the main findings of this research are:

  • 19% of the Irish population aged 15+ are current smokers
  • The majority of these smokers plan to give up at some point in the future (81%)
  • Most smokers planning to give up have support from family and friends, followed by GP and Pharmacist
  • Concern for future health emerged as the most frequently cited reason for giving up smoking
  • Restriction of smoking in public places is considered the most effective means of encouraging someone to give up (56%) with price increases considered to be almost equally effective (55%)
  • 3 in 5 of all respondents are in favour of price increases, with the majority also supporting an Irish Cancer Society lobby on the matter however
  • Current smokers are significantly less likely than non-smokers to be in favour of price increases
  • The majority are in favour of the introduction of plain packaging (64%) and also of an Irish Cancer Society lobby on the matter.

General statistics

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Ireland. Each year at least 5,200 people die from diseases caused by tobacco use. This represents approximately 19% of all deaths.

The breakdown of the 5,200 deaths is as follows:

  • Cancers (44%)
  • Circulatory diseases (30%)
  • Respiratory disease (25%)
  • Digestive diseases (1%).

It costs us €1 billion per year to provide health services for smokers

Smokers lose an average of 10-15 years from their life expectancy

One third of all cancers are caused by smoking. 90% of lung cancers are due to smoking.

The other types of cancers linked to smoking are mouth and throat larynx, oesophagus, stomach, pancreatic, kidney and womb, bowel, cervical and bladder cancer.

Smoking however affects not only those who smoke but non-smokers who breathe in other people’s tobacco smoke. Children and teenagers exposed to secondhand smoke may be particularly at risk of lung cancer later in life as well as have an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory problems.