THE AVERAGE Irish smoker has tried to quit four times, according to new research.
Although 70 per cent of smokers want to stop, 90 per cent of them believe they are addicted.
The representative survey of more than 1,000 Irish adults was carried out by Pfizer, which is sponsoring a week-long online "surgery" staffed by GPs offering people advice on quitting smoking.
It will operate as an instant messaging service which can be accessed at quitwithhelp.ie.
The website has also provided a list of frequently asked questions about the physical effects of giving up nicotine such as withdrawal symptoms and putting on weight.
Research has found that those who get professional help to quit are twice as likely to stay off the cigarettes. Dublin GP Dr Ronan Donohoe said: "Stopping smoking is a very difficult thing to do and can often take several attempts. I urge people to avail of this free service and seek professional advice on how to quit."
The latest available figures have found that smoking prevalence in Ireland is now at 23.6 per cent - a significant decrease from the same survey in 2008 which found that more than 27 per cent of the population smoked.
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