The Minister for Health has welcomed recent findings that show almost 7,000 smokers who contacted the National Smokers Quitline have given up smoking.
Figures released today show that of those who have stopped smoking, 39 per cent said the smoking ban had a significant or important bearing on their decision.
The research findings were undertaken by Behaviour and Attitudes, and followed an evaluation of the Quitline service which is an inititative of the Health Promotion Unit in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society (ICS). The service received 19,800 calls in the period from its launch in October 2003 to April 2004.
Mr Martin said today: "Smoking is addictive and a health hazard and giving up is the single most important thing a smoker can do for their health."
Since the Quitline launch over 9,500 people had stopped smoking for an average of 7.4 weeks, but had since relapsed. Mr Martin urged these people to try again. "Quitting smoking is not easy and for some people, relapsing is party of the quitting process."
Ms Norma Cronin of the ICS said the society was delighted with the success of the National Smoking Cessation campaign. "It is clear that both the Quitline service and the Smoke-Free at Work legislation have had a strong bearing on the positive findings, which highlight the great desire and will that exists amongst smokers to give up."
The majority of callers to the service had tried to give up on at least one other occasion, and 10 per cent of those who took part in the survey said the smoking ban was the main reason for calling the Quitline.
Of those who tried to stop smoking, 47 per cent used willpower alone and 41 per cent used Nictoine Replacement Therapy. Over half of those who had not managed to quit said they were still thinking about it while 34 per cent of smokers said they were planning to quit within the next six months.