BACKGROUND-AIM:
Tobacco use remains disproportionately high within Irish prisons, contributing significantly to health inequalities among imprisoned individuals. The aim of the project was to address to health inequalities within a prison setting and to assess the viability of training inmates as stop smoking advisors to support their peers to quit smoking.

METHODS:
This study describes the implementation and outcomes of a peer-led stop smoking programme in an Irish medium security prison, where inmates—trained as volunteers under the Irish Red Cross Prison Programme—became Peer Stop Smoking Advisors to support fellow prisoners in quitting smoking in a group setting. Selected inmate volunteers from the Irish Red Cross scheme completed training in stop smoking care and delivered group-based behavioural support to their peers over a 7 week period. Participants were provided free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and encouraged to set quit dates. Programme progress was monitored qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative monitoring is ongoing.

RESULTS:
Engagement and quit attempts: engagement was strong—among participants, all set quit dates and commenced NRT. Participants reported that support from Irish Red Cross-trained peer advisors significantly influenced their commitment to the programme. Relapse and re-engagement: the lockdown disruption resulted in relapse for a subset of participants, primarily due to interruption in NRT access and group support. However, once the prison reopened and NRT supply resumed, many participants reset quit dates and recommenced quit efforts, thereby illustrating an appetite for quitting smoking despite the restrictive environment.

CONCLUSIONS:
Training Irish Red Cross inmate volunteers as peer stop-smoking advisors within an Irish prison setting is both feasible and effective. The Irish Red Cross model provided an existing volunteer infrastructure enabling recruitment, training and support for peer advisers within the prison context. The transient relapse caused by lockdown underscores the critical importance of maintaining continuity of access to NRT and behavioural support, even during institutional disruptions. The rapid re-engagement of participants once services resumed emphasises the presence of a genuine desire to quit among imprisoned individuals—even under constrained circumstances. Empowering Irish Red Cross volunteer inmates to serve as peer stop smoking advisors offers a sustainable, credible and empowering approach to tobacco cessation within the Irish prison system. Despite operational setbacks such as lockdowns, participants exhibited strong motivation and resilience. Leveraging the existing volunteer framework of the Irish Red Cross can effectively drive health promotion, reduce smoking prevalence and support broader rehabilitation objectives in prison settings in Ireland.