Breaking the 20% smoking barrier shows the game is up for Tobacco

The Irish Cancer Society has welcomed the latest official HSE figures which reveal that fewer than 1 in 5 adults smoke in Ireland. This is the first time the smoking rate has broken the 20% barrier. However, the Society says that the national figure masks a high smoking rate amongst people on low incomes. The HSE Report finds that the DE socio-economic group (semi-skilled, unskilled, or unemployed people) accounts for almost 39% of the smoking population. The Irish Cancer Society says that a special, targeted effort needs to be made in disadvantaged communities so that the health divide between rich and poor doesn’t widen. “The smoking rate in Ireland has dropped from 28.28% in June 2003 to 19.53% in December 2014,” says Kathleen O’Meara, Head of Advocacy and Communications at the Irish Cancer Society. “That drop tells us that everything we’ve done to reduce the number of smokers is working".  “However, we know that people from poorer communities are more likely to smoke and that smoking accounts for half the gap in life expectancy between a rich person and a poor person. Smoking has been identified as the single biggest cause of inequality in death rates. Therefore, when we see that the smoking rate is still much higher in disadvantaged areas, it indicates to us that more needs to be done to help people quit. For instance, the smoking rate amongst Traveller women and men was 52.5% in 2010 and for homeless people was 90% in 2013. Clearly, exceptional efforts need to be made to achieve the Governments ambitious goal of a 5% smoking rate by 2025, particularly in disadvantaged or marginalised communities.” The Irish Cancer Society says if 2025 is to be a historic year, the government needs to increase resources in local communities that will support smokers to quit. The early findings from the Irish Cancer Society’s ‘We Can Quit’ pilot programme indicate that with help available in local communities, and designed to meet their particular needs, people have more success in giving up smoking. ‘We Can Quit’ is an initiative of the Irish Cancer Society in partnership with the Northside Partnership, the Blanchardstown Area Partnership, the HSE and the National Women’s Council of Ireland. The service offers women a supportive environment in which to overcome the barriers to quitting smoking.  The free 12-week programme is group based so that women can join forces with other women as they quit together. “Such initiatives hit tobacco where prevalence rates are stubbornly high,” says Ms O’Meara. “Like ‘We Can Quit’, cessation services need to be targeted in order to reach those from poorer communities. Investment in such services is one of the most cost-effective healthcare treatments, according to the US Surgeon General. Good cessation services can double the chances of quitting. “Today’s news shows less people are smoking in Ireland than ever. With the right support, we can make smoking history.”