1. Smoking among people living with HIV and AIDS in Ireland: Prevalence among sub-groups
K Babineau, S O’Dea, S Keogan, G Courtney, L Clancy
TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI), DIT FOCAS Institute, Dublin 8 
AIMS: 1) To gather data on key demographics of HIV service users.
2) Assess smoking behaviour and readiness to quit among the population.
3) Understand the needs of PLWHA in Ireland and the nature of smoking behaviour among main subgroups.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a public HIV treatment clinic in an urban area in Ireland from July-October Two hand-held digital devices (tablets) were used in the administration of the survey. A sample of 438 service users took part. Ages ranged from 18-73, with a mean age of 38.9 years.
Table 1: Demographic characteristics of sample
RESULTS: 35.0% (141) were current smokers and an additional 8.2% (35) were ex-smokers.
Of current smokers, 24.4% (42) smoked between 1-10 cigarettes a day, 33.3% (57) smoked between cigarettes a day, and 17.4% (30) smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day.
Prevalence of smoking among the sample (35%) was nearly double that of the general population in Ireland (19%). Rates among key sub-groups were even higher (Table 2).
Current smoking was higher among males (45.9%), ever IDUs (59.7%), and service users born in Europe (43.3%). Smoking prevalence was very low among African migrants (7.2%) and extremely low among African born women (1.3%).
Table 2: Smoking status of demographic subgroups accessing the service
CONCLUSIONS: The demographics of people accessing services in this clinic are similar to those reported in other major Western cities.
Key subgroups of PLWHA recently reported in the literature including injecting drug users, young women from Sub-Saharan Africa, and young men who have sex with men from Europe, Asia, and the Americas were all prominent in the treatment sample at this Irish clinic.
In line with international studies, smoking prevalence among PLWHA was nearly double that of the general population (35% compared with 19%).
Current smoking rates among the key subgroups-IDU (59%) and MSM (46%) were much higher than double the general population.
A growing body of research reveals an increase in non-HIV tobacco-related deaths among PLWHA.
This makes it an imperative that policy makers and healthcare professionals prioritise the need for a smoking cessation service focused on PLWHA.
For additional information please contact:
Kate Babineau, TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland