The World Health Organization says Ireland should increase its efforts to control what is being described as ‘the smoking epidemic’.
An official from the WHO says more effective tobacco control policies are needed.
Doctor Douglas Bettcher is the Director of the Tobacco Free Initiative at the WHO.
He will speak at an Irish Cancer Society event today where he is set to praise the introduction of the Irish smoking ban in 2004 but propose that Ireland adopts six policies which, he says, have reduced tobacco use in other countries.
These include the raising of taxes on tobacco as well as warnings about the dangers of tobacco and the enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Latest figures show 29% of the Irish population continues to smoke and 6,000 people die from smoking-related illnesses every year.
The Irish Cancer Society's latest strategy is aimed at reducing the numbers of young people taking up smoking.
