80,000 people quit smoking in three years
A major health survey has recorded a significant drop in the number of smokers in Ireland.
The Healthy Ireland Survey 2018 says 80,000 people have quit in the three years since the last study.
This Department of Health survey was conducted by Ipsos MRBI, and talked to over 7,500 people aged 15 and over.
It found smoking rates are down from 23% in 2015 to 20%.
In the last 12 months, 40% of smokers have made an attempt to quit.
Alcohol consumption figures show 37% of the population regularly binge drink by consuming six or more standard units on one occasion.
43% of drinkers from more disadvantaged areas said they binge drink compared to 33% from more affluent areas.
The figures are part of a trend where health indicators in poorer areas are much worse than in better-off neighbourhoods.
A third of people in more deprived areas reported long-term health issues, compared to less than a quarter in higher income areas.
