The 2019 Healthy Ireland Survey, conducted for the country's health department, also found 73% of people are supportive of the plain packaging rules
The Irish government found that 40% of smokers have made an attempt to quit, with health concerns being the prime motivator (Credit: Pixabay)
Plain packets with health warnings are helping 25% of smokers in Ireland to quit, according to a report for the country’s health department.
The annual Healthy Ireland Survey — conducted by Ipsos MRBI — found the level of smoking in the country makes up around 17% of the population, a 6% drop from the 23% figure in 2015.
The survey estimates there are 165,000 fewer smokers than five years ago.
The research, which surveyed 7,413 people aged 15 and older living in Ireland, also found that, within the last 12 months, 40% of smokers have attempted to quit.
Health concerns were cited as the leading motivator for people wanting to quit the addiction.
Ireland’s minister for health, Simon Harris, said: “I welcome the findings of this year’s Healthy Ireland Survey, and in particular the continued drop in the smoking rate.
“This shows that our multi-pronged approach, with legislation, support for smoking cessation, and policies to denormalise smoking in our society, is bearing fruit and we are heading in the right direction to being a tobacco-free Ireland.
“Our aim is to achieve similar positive trends in the future with the other risk factors which impact on people’s health and contribute to chronic disease, such as obesity, alcohol, physical inactivity and nutrition, through continued partnership working across government and wider society on the Healthy Ireland agenda.
“The findings from the 2019 survey report will help us monitor how well our policies are working, as well as identifying ways we can better support people to be healthy.”
More than half of Ireland’s population backs plain packaging
Plans to introduce plain packaging legislation goes back to 2013, when then-health minister Dr James Reilly’s proposals to remove branding and logos from cigarette products were approved by the Irish cabinet.
Although the bill was passed by the Irish parliament and signed-off by President Michael D Higgins in 2015, it wasn’t until 2018 that tobacco products in Ireland had to be sold in plain, standardised packaging.
In doing so, Ireland became the seventh country worldwide — and the third in Europe — to introduce such laws for smoking products. A further 10 nations are due to bring in similar rules soon.
According to the Healthy Ireland Survey 2019, 73% of the population in the country approve plain packaging rules.
Speaking at the report’s launch, minister of state for health promotion Catherine Byrne said: “Given the risks associated with smoking, these figures give us confidence that we are on the right track in terms of the health promotion and legislative measures we’re putting in place.
“I am concerned that the smoking rates are highest in our young adults aged 25-34 and are also much higher in people who are unemployed or living in more deprived areas.
“I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are a range of supports available from the HSE Quit service for anyone who wants support to quit smoking.”
Legislation around plain packaging of tobacco products was first introduced in Australia in 2012, before France and the UK enacted similar laws in 2017.