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Fitness & Health

31st May 2017

HSE issue warning about the dangers of ‘roll your own’ tobacco

Today is World No Tobacco Day.

JOE

One in four smokers now roll their own.

To mark World Health Organisation (WHO) World No Tobacco Day, the HSE has published new research which reveals a significant increase – from 3.5% in 2003 to 24.6% in 2014 – in the number of people smoking Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco in Ireland.

The proportion of smokers using manufactured cigarettes has declined by one-fifth from 96.5% in 2003 to 75.4% in 2014.

The report is the first detailed examination of RYO consumption from the HSE’s National Tobacco Control Office monthly survey of smoking prevalence.

It found that a smoker under the age of 25 is almost three times more likely to smoke RYO cigarettets with nearly 45% of smokers in this age group smoking rollies. Male smokers were found to be almost two and a half times more likely to smoke RYO cigarettes compared to females.

Smoking prevalence is highest among lower socioeconomic groups with unemployed people 2.3 times more likely to smoke RYO cigarettes.

Martina Blake of the HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme was alarmed by the number of young people smoking RYO tobacco which she believes is more addictive, and makes it harder to quit.

“We want to warn smokers not to be fooled by the tobacco industry’s marketing. Roll Your Own tobacco has devastating health impacts just like manufactured cigarettes,” she said.

She added that, “Smokers need to know that all tobacco kills, whether manufactured or Roll Your Own. There is also evidence to show that risks are higher for Roll Your Own smokers in terms of particular cancers such as cancer of the oesophagus, mouth, pharynx and larynx.

“We know that people who join our smoking support programme are more likely to quit for good. There are 74 free stop smoking clinics across Ireland which you can find on the website.”

The report, Roll Your Own Cigarettes in Ireland – Key Patterns and Trends is available as a PDF download here.

Topics:

HSE,Smoking