The rise of vaping means society has “let the wolf inside the hen house” when it comes to nicotine addiction, Ciara Kelly has said. 

Research by Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the HSE’s Tobacco Free Ireland Programme found that financial incentives would likely be a cost-effective way to help people stop smoking. 

The study suggested rewarding people who quit smoking for 12 months with a €400 cash payment. 

On Newstalk Breakfast today, presenter Ciara Kelly said it sounded like a positive policy innovation given how many smokers die from smoking-related illnesses. 

“If for €400, we could get someone off what is a lifetime of health issues in terms of being a cigarette smoker, if you could do that for €400 a head…. then I think that’s a good thing,” she said. 

A man smoking a cigarette. Image: Jes2ufoto / Alamy Stock Photo

Ciara described Big Tobacco as the “cleverest and most devious of industries” and said she has become increasingly concerned about the number of young people who are not smoking - but vaping instead. 

“Vaping and e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement therapy in general was first floated as a way of getting [people] off cigarettes,” she said. 

“We have thousands and thousands of young people who have never smoked but now vape.

“It is a backdoor to going back to smoking because if they can’t pick up a vape, they’ll pick up a packet of cigarettes. 

“So we are actually creating nicotine addiction where no nicotine addictions existed. 

“I think we’ve let the wolf inside the hen house.” 

Stock photo of men vaping. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday February 21, 2020. Photo credit should read: Nick Ansell/PA Wire

Co-presenter Jonathan Healy said he doubted whether many people would give up smoking for €400. 

“That’s 20 boxes of fags if you want to break it down,” he said. 

“I’m not sure that’s enough of an incentive to get diehard smokers to give up,” he said. 

“I think they’re focusing on the wrong end of the market.” 

Jonathan also said there needs to be more focusing on stopping young people vaping.

“I think we are sleepwalking into another tobacco crisis in the background,” he said. 

“We have young people who are getting hooked on vapes and snuffs and that then proves to be a gateway to cigarettes at some point in the future. 

“So, we should be spending more time and effort on dealing with that nicotine addiction as opposed to an addiction among a core group who - let’s face it - really wouldn’t respond too well to €400 in their back pocket to stop. 

“Research says it’s happening but I think if we’re going to spend money, let’s not spend it on that end of the spectrum. 

“Let’s stop people smoking in the first place, let’s make young people realise the risks of what they’re doing to their health.” 

Main image: Ciara Kelly. Image: Newstalk