More women than men are smoking in three health board regions, according to research published yesterday.

The regional results of the National Health and Lifestyle Surveys showed smoking rates were higher among females than males in the Southern, Mid Western and Northern Area Health Boards regions. The study also found smoking rates were higher among medical- card holders in all but two health board regions, these being the East Coast Area and South Western Area Health Boards which cover south Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare. Among non-medical-card holders the highest smoking rates were among people living in the Northern Area Health Board (north Dublin) region at 27.4 per cent. The lowest smoking rates among non-medical- card holders were found in the Western Health Board region at 17.8 per cent. Overall smoking rates among adults fell by 4 per cent to 27 per cent since the last SLN study four years ago. Among schoolgoing children the percentage who are current smokers fell from 21 to 19 per cent over the same period. When male students were asked if they had ever smoked, the highest levels were among those in the South Eastern Health Board region at 52 per cent and lowest in the North East at 27 per cent. When this question was posed to female students it emerged that highest levels, at 48 per cent, were among girls in the South Eastern and South Western Area Health Boards regions. When current smoking levels were examined it was found 23 per cent of 12-14 year-old boys in the south-eastern region were smokers, compared to 12 per cent in the rest of the country.

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