Over 100 people will die as a result of smoking this week, HSE warns

Wed, 06 Mar, 2019 - 07:34

Digital Desk staff

More than 100 people will die as a result of smoking this week, according to the HSE.

The HSE issued the warning on National No Smoking Day, which people traditionally use to quit the habit.

The three top tips on how to stop smoking for good according to the health service's Quit team are:

"Think of the reasons why you want to quit and write them down to motivate you."

"Set a date to quit and stick to it."

"Don't go it alone."

Over 1,000 people will be hospitalised because of a disease caused by their smoking, and one in two people who smoke will die from a smoking-related illness.

Six in 10 smokers who tried to quit in 2018 reported concerns about their health as their main reason for making a quit attempt.

Meanwhile, the Irish Heart Foundation has called on the State to do much more to help smokers quit.

The group's Head of Advocacy Chris Macey wants more resources put into services that encourage people to kick the habit.

"It's clear we're not doing enough to help the 80% of smokers who want to quit, tax increases have played a very important role in reducing smoking rates, but they could be a lot more effective if a higher proportion of the proceeds were spent on cessation services," he said.