Ireland has set a target of reducing the rate of smoking in the country to under 5%. An admirable target, to be sure, but one that could be a challenge to meet by 2025, thanks to the current rate sitting at 17% of the population.
Meanwhile, the UK has enjoyed a huge reduction in smoking in the last few years. Dropping from 19% in 2012 to less than 15% today, Ireland is now considering following in the UK’s footsteps and endorsing the use of electronic cigarettes as a potential smoking cessation tool.
There is far greater positivity surrounding e-cigarettes in the UK than in Ireland. Public Health England has come out in support of vaping to help people quit. It has been shown as one of the best methods for quitting smoking. The Health Service Executive in Ireland is yet to stand up and publicly endorse vaping as PHE has done. Yet it could make a profound difference if more support is provided.
Both the UK and Ireland are working towards becoming smoke free. However, while this is hoped to be achieved by 2030 in the UK, Ireland won’t be able to achieve it for another 22 years after that date.
While it is early days, there are signs that Ireland may be starting to consider the potential benefits of vaping to support those who want to give up smoking. If Ireland does follow the UK in becoming more vocal about vaping benefits, we could yet see a stark drop in the number of Irish smokers who have yet to quit.
What do you think about the potential for a sea change in Ireland? Could vaping see the number of smokers in the country finally begin to drop by a larger amount? Let us know your thoughts below.
