A Dublin firm of solicitors has been contacted by more than 660 people interested in taking legal action against the Irish tobacco industry.
The firm of Ward and Fitzpatrick advertised in two daily newspapers last week. It expects to have had at least 1,000 inquiries by Christmas.
Mr Hugh Ward said that after extensive research in the US, the firm decided to advertise and "we are now in a position to effectively represent our clients who allege they have been damaged by tobacco use."
They expected that awards would vary but someone with a very serious illness as a result of smoking could expect in excess of £200,000.
The firm's advertisement said many smokers had become "addicted" without full knowledge of how serious the risk was from cigarettes, pipes and other tobacco products.
"Medical evidence has now connected cigarette-smoking with a number of serious illnesses, including lung cancer, emphysema, chronic pulmonary disease, bronchitis, sinusitis and other diseases.
"If you believe you have been injured or a relative has died as a result of direct cigarette-smoking or second-hand smoke, you may have a legitimate claim for compensation."
The firm's clients are those born in the 1930s and 1940s who took up smoking when no warnings were carried on the packet. Respondents to the advertisement varied from those who smoke over 20 a day to heavy smokers of up to 100 cigarettes a day.
The firm's partners, Mr Ward and Mr Francis Fitzpatrick, met a number of their new clients in a Dublin hotel last Sunday.
"We spoke to each of them for about 10 minutes. We saw some very sick people, including those with lung cancer who have just recently been diagnosed and were devastated," said Mr Fitzpatrick.
"The situation here is almost identical to the one in the US. It is a dangerous product and anyone who sells a dangerous product should warn the consumer about it. Even when the danger to health was labelled in the 1970s, the addictive nature of the product was not."
All the clients wanted to know the potential size of damages. "We take the view that nothing compensates you for the loss of your health. To try and put a figure on it, we are looking at other personal injury cases and the hepatitis C tribunal," said Mr Fitzpatrick.
Mr Ward said they were operating on a "no foal, no fee" basis.
"People may see this as part of the growing compensation culture in Ireland but these people have been seriously injured." The firm has "graded" their cases. Because of current legislation, they must issue proceedings in some cases immediately.
"Current legislation requires that claims must be lodged within three years of diagnosis. So for any of our clients approaching this time frame we are proceeding immediately . . . However, we have not ruled out a class action at a later time," said Mr Fitzpatrick.