Smoking and cancer
Smoking causes around 3,750 cases of cancer per year in Ireland.
This means that on average 10 people each day in Ireland are diagnosed with a cancer caused by tobacco smoking.
Smoking and cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Ireland. Almost 2,600 people in Ireland are diagnosed with lunch cancer every year. More than 70% of these cases are directly caused by smoking. Find out more about lung cancer
Smoking is a major cause of cancers of the tongue, lips, gums and mouth, head and neck cancer. Find out more about mouth, head and neck cancer.
When you inhale cigarette smoke, you will always swallow some of it without meaning to. Consequently, the risk of developing stomach cancer is higher among smokers. Find out more about stomach cancer.
- Pancreatic cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Uterine (womb) cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Bowel (colorectal) cancer
- Acute Myeloid leukaemia
Help to quit from the HSE
The HSE has stop-smoking services which are free to use and available nationwide. They can also help people who want to stop vaping.
Second-hand smoke
When non-smokers share a space with someone who is smoking, they are being exposed to second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke affects everyone but can be especially harmful to pregnant women and children.
Only 15% of smoke from a cigarette is inhaled by the smoker; the rest of it goes directly into the air around them.
Non-smokers who breathe in other people’s tobacco smoke, or ‘second-hand’ smoke, have an increased risk of lung cancer. Children and teenagers exposed to second-hand smoke may be particularly at risk of lung cancer later in life. They also have an increased risk of asthma and other respiratory problems.
Children are twice as likely to smoke if their parents smoke.
E-cigarettes (vapes)
The Irish Cancer Society does not recommend using e-cigarettes (vapes) to help you to stop smoking.
Vapes do not work as well to help you quit smoking as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and smoking cessation medicines. These ways to quit smoking are safe and have been shown to work, and some are available for free from the HSE.
What are e-cigarettes or vapes?
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices which have a cartridge containing a liquid. This liquid usually contains nicotine – an addictive drug found in regular cigarettes and other tobacco products – as well as flavourings and other chemicals. The liquid is heated, creating an aerosol (smoke) that the user inhales. This is known as vaping.
E-cigarettes are known by many different names including e-cigs, vapes and vape pens. There are many different types of e-cigarette.
Are vapes safe?
Short-term evidence suggests that vapes are less harmful than regular cigarettes, but we don’t know the long-term risks yet.
The nicotine in vapes may lead to DNA changes that promote cancer and tumour formation. Vapes can also contain toxic substances, such as formaldehyde, which may cause cancer.
