Smokers cough up average €3,500 on cigarettes last year

DESPITE tough economic times, Irish smokers are turning to cigarettes more and spending more on their habit, research shows.

Smokers here now smoke around 23 cigarettes every day, 10 more than last year, and are spending more than €3,500 a year on their habit — €1,500 more than last year.

Aviva Health Insurance found that almost a quarter of those participating in their online health check are smokers, with more women (25%) than men (22%) smoking.