The Minister for Health, Micheál Martin, has said he is heartened by new figures suggesting that thousands of people in Ireland have either quit smoking or cut down considerably.
Mr Martin was reacting to the findings of a survey conducted by the market research company, Behaviour and Attitudes.
The report says that almost 7,000 smokers who contacted the National Smokers' Quitline have given up smoking and almost 10,000 other callers have reduced their cigarette consumption.
The quitline was set up a year ago in support of the Government's move towards a tobacco-free society.
The minister commended those who had broken the habit and urged those who had failed to stop smoking to try again, pointing out that relapsing was part of the quitting process.
