Ireland’s respiratory disease death rates 60% higher than rest of Europe

IRELAND’S death rate from respiratory disease is nearly three times worse than some of the former Soviet bloc countries, a new report reveals.

The study showed that the numbers dying from lung disease in Ireland is nearly 60% higher than in the rest of Europe.

Lung doctors have called for research into why our death rate could be so high when other European countries have higher smoking rates and more heavily industrialised economies.