Anti-smoking group, ASH Ireland, has said it is ‘deeply concerned' about the current cost of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in this country.

Today (February 13) is National No Smoking Day - a day when many smokers around the country will attempt to quit the habit.

However, according to ASH, while these people need all the support they can get, they are faced with significantly higher NRT prices here compared to the UK and other European countries.

VAT is currently being charged at 23% on these products, compared to a rate of 5% in the UK.

According to consultant respiratory physician, Dr Ross Morgan, there are other issues as well.

"We are concerned with the overall cost of the full range of NRT products. This is perhaps due to the fact that they are only available from behind the counter in pharmacies and not available off the shelf in a range of retail outlets," he commented.

He noted that in recent years, ASH has been in contact with the Department of Health, the Irish Medicines Board, the pharmaceutical sector and pharmacies with a view to addressing this issue.

"We again ask all involved to address this very serious matter, which can be a disincentive to many people who wish to quit smoking," Dr Moragn said.

This issue was also highlighted by the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), which pointed out that the State spends over 100 times more on dealing with tobacco-related illnesses than on quit services.

According to Chris Macey of the IHF, the government could reduce the number of smoking-related deaths and hospital admissions if it put more resources into quit services.

"It's clear that not enough is being done to help smokers quit. We know that support services such as cessation clinics, quitlines and medications double a person's chances of giving up smoking for good. We also know that many Irish smokers want to quit. Unfortunately, most are left to go it alone when they try and that means they are more likely to fail," Mr Macey added.

For advice on giving up smoking, call the National Smokers' Quitline on 1850 201 203.