According
to a specific revelation by Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), the state of Ireland spends huge amount of money on treating ailments caused by
tobacco usage than on quit smoking services. The IHF discloses that the
government of Ireland expends 100 times more money on tobacco-associated
ailments than on stop smoking services.
Statistics
reveal that ailments resulting from tobacco use charge the state government up
to €2 billion on a yearly basis. This can be divided into €2,000 for each
and every smoker in Ireland.
However, according to an estimation by the IHF, lesser than €15 million euro,
i.e. around €15 per individual, is invested on helping Ireland’s
one million smokers to stop smoking.
Chris Macey, IHF`s Head of
Advocacy, states that the Irish government needs to use more money and
resources on stop smoking services and this would indeed help in cutting down
on daily deaths triggered off by tobacco-associated ailments. Chris Macey adds
that this would also help in decreasing the rate of 36,000 smokers, who are
hospitalized every year for the treatment of tobacco-associated ailments. According
to him, this would make it possible for the government to save a huge amount of
money.
Chris Macey states that a
majority of smokers have the desire to stop smoking but they require support
for that. According to him, stop smoking services in the country are erratic.
He reveals that quit smoking services are good in some areas but ineffective in
some other places.
Source: thejournal.ie, Date: 13th February 2013
