One in 10 quit smoking after ban

JUST over one-in-10 people decided to quit smoking because of the ban in the workplace, a national survey shows.

And almost a third of people who stopped smoking on Ash Wednesday last year failed to stay off cigarettes.

The survey commissioned by the Irish Cancer Society also found that those least likely to quit were under 25, reinforcing the argument for targeting the anti-smoking message at younger people.

Almost half of those who quit smoking on Ash Wednesday in 2004 quit for health reasons, while 38% said the cost of cigarettes was the main reason they stopped.

The survey of 1,200 people also found that the cost of cigarettes was more of an issue for women than for men.

Around one-in-four smokers will attempt to quit today Ash Wednesday now also known as National No Smoking Day.

The survey found there was very little difference between the sexes when it comes to those attempting to quit and that those most likely to try and break their habit tend to be in the 25-34 age group.

Just over one in five who started smoking again after quitting on Ash Wednesday last year said they would be trying again soon to quit for good.

Yesterday, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Seán Power, said he was confident that more than 30,000 smokers will have quit by the end of this year.

Independent research has shown that around 7,000 people quit in the six months between November 2003 and April 2004.

"The figure of 30,000 is optimistic but wholly achievable," said Mr Power, who is responsible for health promotion.

He said the 7,000 who quit had managed to break the habit before the introduction of the smoking ban. And, he said, that figure was gleaned solely from those who contacted the National Smoker's Quitline.

The survey also found that more than half of those who contacted the quitline managed to cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoked.

The declining trend is supported by Revenue figures that show a 10% decrease in cigarette sales in 2003, compared to the previous year.

The National Smokers' Quitline: (1850 201 203).