Smoking rates among teenage boys in Ireland are on the rise for the first time in 25 years, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research, while e-cigarette use is also on the rise.
The study, entitled "Increased Smoking and e-cigarette Use among Irish youth: New Threats to a Smoke-free Ireland by 2025", shows that Ireland is not only failing to meet its smoke-free targets, but that the advent of e-cigarettes could make the situation worse.
"In Ireland, as in many other countries in Europe and the United States, smoking rates among teenagers have been declining. On the other hand, e-cigarette use is increasing worldwide, "said Lead study author Professor Luke Clancy, director of the Tobacco-Free Institute of Ireland. "The dangers of smoking are well known. We're still learning about the effects of e-cigarettes, but we do know that the nicotine they contain can cause brain damage in teens. There is also concern that they may lead to an increase in smoking."
The science behind the data
In contrast, a 2019 survey by Healthy Ireland showed that the growth in e-cigarette use has remained steady and is nothing to worry about, and more importantly, the number of e-cigarette users is lower than the number of smokers.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office for 2019 mean that around 246,000 people use e-cigarettes, equivalent to around one in 20 people. The Healthy Ireland report also showed that the proportion of the population smoking had fallen from 23 per cent to 17 per cent in the five years before. Over the same period, the number of people reporting e-cigarette use increased by just 2 percent, from 3 percent of the population to 5 percent.
The survey also showed that about 38 percent of smokers trying to quit use e-cigarettes as a quitting tool. Interviews last year with 7,413 people aged 15 or older living in Ireland showed that a quarter of Irish people aged 25 to 34 had tried e-cigarettes, with 8% of the 8% age group being current users.