Almost 6,000 people in Ireland will have died from the effects of smoking , says Action on Smoking Health (ASH) Ireland.
The organisation is urging smokers to think about quitting for their New Year’s resolution.
There has been a decrease in the number of smokers in recent years, however, 5,900 deaths will have occurred due to the effects of smoking in Ireland in 2016.
ASH have called for the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in the New Year as an additional measure to reduce smoking in all age groups.
The World Health Organization confirmed that nearly six million people will die worldwide because of smoking and passive smoking.