According to a report by the BBC on December 21st, Ireland has introduced a new law prohibiting the sale of electronic cigarettes to individuals under the age of 18. Violators could face fines of up to €4,000 and a maximum of six months in prison. This legislation came into effect on December 22nd.
Ireland’s Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, expressed his satisfaction with the timing of this ban, just before Christmas.
This ban in the Republic of Ireland aligns with similar laws in the United Kingdom. England and Wales implemented this ban in 2015, Scotland followed suit in 2017, and Northern Ireland made amendments in 2022.
Mr Donnelly thanked his colleagues in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for understanding the urgency of protecting their children and supporting his swift action in enacting the law. He added that further regulations on vape pens and tobacco control proposals would be reviewed next year.
In November 2023, Minister for Health and Minister for Public Health Hildegaard Norton launched a public consultation on the future regulation of electronic cigarettes. Norton stated that this ban marks a “good start” in addressing the issue of electronic cigarettes and emphasized that safeguarding children is at the core of Ireland’s smoke-free policies. She said, “Protecting children is at the heart of our nation’s ‘Smoke-Free Ireland’ policy, and I welcome this significant progress in that direction.”
The minister also looks forward to the consultation on the flavors and packaging of electronic cigarettes. She added, “We know that young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking, so it’s important not to attract them to these products.”
This latest ban is part of broader efforts to address the issue of youth vaping. Other countries, such as Australia, have taken measures to curb nicotine addiction among children by banning flavor disposable vape and imports.
Earlier this year, the Irish government introduced the 2023 Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill to prevent children from smoking or using nicotine inhalation products.
In addition to prohibiting the sale of such products to those under 18, the bill also includes provisions to:
1, Prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhalation products at children’s events.
2, Prevent self-service sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes.
3, Introduce strict licensing for the retail of these products.
4, Ban advertising of these products around schools and on public transportation.
Public consultation on these measures will continue until January 5, 2024.
