IRISH CHILDREN FROM deprived areas are twice as likely to inhale second-hand-smoke as children from more affluent backgrounds, according to a new report.
Just 14% of children from Ireland’s highest-income families are exposed to tobacco smoke in their everyday lives.
The figure is 32.7% for nine-year-olds from the country’s lowest-income families.
The snapshot report, Smoke-Free Spaces on the Island of Ireland, has been released today by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day.
It can be viewed here.
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Despite the experience of those living in low-income situations, overall less than a fifth of Irish adults (18%) are exposed to secondary smoke on a daily basis.
The highest figures are seen in the 15-24 age group, with nearly a third of Irish people in that age bracket (28%) exposed to smoking daily.
“Reducing second-hand smoke exposure is a central part of tobacco control policies across the island of Ireland. The expansion of smoke-free spaces directly reduces exposure of children and adults and further helps to denormalise tobacco use in a variety of social contexts,” said the Director of Policy at the IPH Dr Helen McAvoy.
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Regarding the fact that those living on lower-incomes are more likely to be exposed, McAvoy said:
People in deprived areas need greater support to help them quit smoking and we also need to address the root causes of such health inequalities.
According to 2014 statistics, 8% of young Irish people aged between 10 and 17, about 40,260 children and adolescents, smoke cigarettes.
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