Research as part of the Healthy Ireland initiative found 80 per cent of people rated their health as being good or very good this year, down from 82 per cent in 2022

It comes as the Cabinet prepare to sign off on a new law, which would ban the sale of vapes to under 18s.

The RI's policy group on tobacco believe proposals regarding vapes and e-cigarettes should go further to ban the sale of flavoured products

The Government approved a raft of measures aimed at further regulating the sale and advertising of e-cigarettes.