The Government was today urged to significantly increase the cost of cigarettes in next week's budget.
At least €1 should be added to the price of a packet of cigarettes in order to protect the nation's health, it was claimed.
The plea came at the launch of a new study, which showed a heavy decline in the number of smokers in the Republic trying to give up.
It was revealed that 61 per cent of smokers in Ireland now want to give up, compared to almost three-quarters in 1997.
The figures compiled for the Nicorette study also showed that for the first time more women are smoking than men in Ireland.
At the launch of the survey in Dublin, respiratory physician Professor Luke Clancy urged Finance Minister Mr Charlie McCreevy to consider a rise in cigarette prices in the December 4th budget.
"What we've asked the Minister for Finance is to put in a price rise that does something for health," he said.
"The thing is we want a substantial rise because we know that would have an effect.
"Our claim would be, put in a huge rise on cigarettes that will affect the lives of people, not just this year, but for a generation to come."
He said it was not necessary to ask for as much as a €2 rise, as demanded by anti-smoking group Ash.
"Even €1 would be enough," he added, saying anything less would not benefit the nation's health.
Professor Clancy said the statistics painted a dismal picture of smoking in Ireland.
"A greater effort with greater resources needs to be applied by the government to make people quit smoking and to stop them from starting to smoke," he said.
"Almost one-third of the population continue to smoke and fewer people are attempting to quit. Present initiatives do not appear to be working."
PA