Increase in Smokers and Decrease in E-Cigarette Use in Ireland

According to the latest survey released in Ireland, the smoking rate has increased from 17% in 2019 to 18%. Meanwhile, the e-cigarette usage rate has decreased from the record 5% in 2019 to 3% this year. NNA Ireland, the new nicotine alliance, is questioning how this has happened.

The Healthy Ireland Survey is an annual survey that targets a representative sample of the population aged 15 and over living in Ireland. Typically, the sample size is around 7,500 people.

The key findings of the 2022 Healthy Ireland Survey are summarized as follows:

. According to recent surveys, 18% of the population currently smoke, with 14% smoking daily and 4% smoking occasionally. The age group most likely to smoke is 25-34, as consistently found in surveys conducted between 2015-2019.

Among all age groups, men are more likely to smoke than women, with the greatest difference being between the ages of 25-34.

Among this age group, over one-third (34%) of men and 14% of women are smokers. In the 25-34 age group, over one-quarter (27%) of men smoke daily, compared to 10% of women of the same age. The equivalent percentage in the 2021 survey was 20% for men and 16% for women.

In the past 12 months, 46% of smokers attempted to quit smoking. Of those who attempted to quit smoking in the past 12 months, 23% were successful.

Three percent of people have used electronic cigarettes, while another three percent said they had tried them in the past but no longer use them. The usage of electronic cigarettes is highest among people under the age of 25, with six percent currently using them in this age group.

Can we attribute this situation to the consistent opposition to e-cigarettes by Ireland's tobacco control? Perhaps not," said NNA Ireland. "We can ask why the smoking rate in the UK was 13.3% in 2021, with an e-cigarette usage rate of 7.7%, which is much better than ours. Is the difference in e-cigarette policies a factor?

According to NNA Ireland, electronic cigarettes are seen as a positive development in the UK. The organization quoted a statement saying that the decrease in the percentage of smokers may be attributed in part to the increase in electronic cigarette use. Data from the Opinion and Lifestyle Survey showed that in 2021, there was an increase in the number of people using electronic cigarette devices regularly and the age group with the highest usage rates was between 16 and 24 years old.

Mark Murphy, spokesperson for the Irish Heart Foundation, commented on these figures, saying: "Unfortunately, we have not seen any further progress this year in reducing smoking rates among the general population, meaning nearly one-fifth of the country continues to smoke. However, the most concerning trend is the significant increase in smoking rates among the 25-34 age group since last year. It is clear that we cannot continue on the current trajectory and the government needs to do more to prevent smoking and encourage those who already smoke to quit.