ORIGINAL ARTICLE An evaluation of the range and availability of intensive smoking-cessation services in Ireland L. Currie ® S. Keogan ® P. Campbell ® M. Gunning ® Z. Kabir ® L. Clancy Received: 22 May 2008 / Accepted: 23 April 2009 Ó Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 2009 Abstract Background A review of smoking cessation (SC) services in Ireland is a necessary step in improving service planning and provision. Aims To assess the range and availability of intensive SC services in Ireland in 2006. Methods A survey of SC service providers in Ireland was conducted. Descriptive analysis and simple linear regres- sion analysis were used. Results Response rate was 86.3% (63/73). All service providers surveyed are employing evidence-based inter- ventions; the most common form of support is individual counselling with initial sessions averaging 40 min and weekly review sessions 20 min in duration. Reaching the recommended target of treating 5.0% of smokers does not seem feasible given the current distribution of resources and there appears to be regional differences in resource allocation. Conclusions While intensive SC services are available in all four Health Service Executive Areas, it would appear that there is little uniformity or consistency countrywide in the scope and structure of these services. Keywords Smoking cessation services Á Ireland Á Census Introduction Tobacco is a major preventable cause of death, chronic disability and inequality accounting for some 7,000 deaths per annum in Ireland [1]. Despite being the first country to introduce comprehensive smoke-free workplace legis- lation and having one of the highest tobacco product prices in the world alongside other strong tobacco control legislation, Ireland still has an adult smoking prevalence of 29% [2]. While measures have been implemented in Ireland to discourage people from starting to smoke, attention must also be paid to smoking cessation (SC) in order to achieve an appreciable reduction in smoking related mortality. Unless a substantial proportion of current smokers quit, there will be no appreciable reduction in the global rate of smoking-related mortality before 2050 [3]. The difficulties of quitting smoking due to nicotine addiction and the benefits of quitting in terms of improved health are well documented [4, 5]. SC at age 60, 50, 40 or 30 can lead to an increase in life expectancy by 3, 6, 9, or 10 years, respectively [6]. In the Irish government’s strategy doc- ument, ‘‘Towards a Tobacco Free Society’’, a key stra- tegic objective is to significantly increase the number of people who stop smoking each year [7]. SC services are a cost-effective means of achieving this goal [8] and are offered throughout Ireland in community and hospital settings. While Ireland is currently ranked second in Europe to the United Kingdom for treatment of smokers on the Tobacco Control Scale [9], there is still much to be done to L. Currie (&) Á S. Keogan Á Z. Kabir Á L. Clancy Research Institute for a Tobacco Free Society (RIFTFS), The Digital Depot, Thomas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland e-mail: lcurrie@tri.ie P. Campbell HSE Dublin North East, Health Service Executive, St. Brigid’s Complex, Ardee. Co., Louth, Ireland M. Gunning Irish Health Promoting Hospitals Network, Health Service Executive, c/o Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland 123 Ir J Med Sci DOI 10.1007/s11845-009-0356-y