The number of people packing in the smokes in a bid for a healthier life is dropping in Northern Ireland.
Around 1,000 people are killed by lung cancer each year with hundreds more diagnosed with lung and mouth cancer.
But despite risks associated with the addiction fewer people are taking up free smoking cessation services say the Department for Health .
A total of 13,860 people set a quit date through their service throughout 2018/19 - a drop of 10% on the previous year.
But numbers have been declining every year for the past five.
Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Northern Ireland, Margaret Carr said: “Around 18% of people here still smoke, which is worrying, as research shows that around 1,300 cases of cancer a year in Northern Ireland could be prevented if people did not smoke.
“Most people don’t realise, but smoking causes at least 15 different types of cancer, not just lung cancer.
“Continued investment in stop smoking services and in public health campaigns is vital as evidence shows that they work.”
She admits that “quitting smoking is not easy”, adding: “But you are more than three times more likely to be successful if you use professional support.
“We’d encourage smokers to seek help from the free services available across Northern Ireland.”
While the number of people seeking help to stop smoking has fallen, the number who actually do is also gradually declining according to stats from the latest Health Survey Northern Ireland.
It suggests that cigarette smoking prevalence in NI has fallen from 22% in 2014/15 to 18% in 2017/18.
But with the right help and support, there is hope even more could ditch the addiction.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is the most popular intervention with 70% of those who set a quit date through the cessation groups using the therapy.
At the 4-week follow-up 8,032 people - 58% of those setting a quit date - reported that they had successfully quit with men having more success than women (60% to 56%).
The quit rate has remained broadly the same for the past five years.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved .
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
