Tobacco

Tobacco use is associated with a wide range of health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, and many other conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 8 million people die from tobacco use every year, with a further 1.2 million deaths annually from second-hand smoke.

Why is tobacco a public health issue?

Ireland and Northern Ireland are continuing to experience an epidemic of tobacco-related disease, disability and death. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths and preventable cancers across the island of Ireland, contributing to around 5,000 deaths in Ireland and 2,300 deaths in Northern Ireland every year.

Tobacco use not only harms the health of people who smoke, but also has significant negative effects on the health of non-users through exposure to second-hand smoke. There are also significant economic costs associated with tobacco use, including healthcare costs, lost productivity, and reduced quality of life.

The burden of tobacco-related harm falls disproportionately on certain vulnerable groups within the population, notably children, people living in social disadvantage, men and people with mental ill-health.

Support Services

If you, or a loved one, require help to quit smoking, the following support and information is available:

Ireland: Quit.ie
Northern Ireland: - Stop Smoking NI

Key Facts: Tobacco

Tobacco use among adults (16 yrs+)

Ireland: 18% of adults reported smoking (2022)

Northern Ireland: 17% of adults reported smoking (2021/22)

Ireland: Policy, Strategy, Legislation

Since becoming the first country in the world to ban smoking in public places in 2004, Ireland has committed to becoming Tobacco Free.

Tobacco Free Ireland Policy 2013-2025

Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025

Health Service Executive Tobacco Free Ireland Programme

Northern Ireland: Policy, Strategy, Legislation

In Northern Ireland, the following policies, strategies and legislation are in place to address tobacco-related harms.

10 Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland (2012-2022)

Mid Term Review Tobacco Control Strategy

IPH evidence review for mid-term review of 10 Year Tobacco Control Strategy

Recent work on tobacco

IPH uses new and emerging evidence and data to develop policy briefs and submissions that will inform public policy on tobacco control in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Recent examples of our work include giving evidence to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019, contributing to a report by the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Policy Group on raising the minimum age of sale of tobacco from 18 to 21 years, and developing Tobacco 21 Mythbusters to debunk some of the myths that persist around tobacco.

Building on previous work in Northern Ireland, the Institute supported elements of the End of Term Review of the 10 Year Tobacco Control Strategy, including a stakeholder engagement report, and outputs focussed on second-hand smoke and mental health, which can be found here.

Read a 2023 summary of our work and activity on tobacco control policy here.

Latest Tobacco Resources

Tobacco

Poster: Tobacco use and mental health in Northern Ireland - shaping a policy response using local data and analysis of policy documents across the UK and Ireland

News Poster

13 Mar, 2024 - This poster presents the findings of research undertaken by IPH which examined the relationship between mental health and smoking in Northern Ireland. The report found that around one in three…

Mental Health Tobacco

Poster: Introduction of a minimum legal age of sale of 21 for tobacco in Ireland – results from a rapid review of evidence

Poster

30 May, 2023 - On World No Tobacco Day, we are highlighting some recent work on tobacco control. On Tuesday 23 May, IPH Public Health Development Officer, Lauren Rodriguez, attended the Faculty of Public Health…

Tobacco