According to the BBC report on December 21, Ireland has enacted a new law that prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18 in Ireland. Violators will be fined up to 4,000 euros and imprisoned for up to six months. The bill is effective from December 22nd.
Ireland's Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he was pleased the ban could be implemented before Christmas.
The ban in the Republic of Ireland is in line with similar laws in the UK. England and Wales introduced the ban in 2015, Scotland followed in 2017 and Northern Ireland revised it in 2022.
Donnelly thanked colleagues in Orléans Tas (Irish Parliament) "who understand the urgency for our children" and said they supported his speedy introduction of the law. Donnelly added that proposals for further regulation of e-cigarettes and tobacco control would be reviewed next year.
In November 2023, the Minister of Health and Public Health Hildegard Norton launched a public consultation on the future regulation of e-cigarettes. Norton said the ban was a "good start" in solving the problem of e-cigarettes. She said: “Protecting children is at the heart of our national anti-smoking policy, Smoke-Free Ireland, and I welcome this significant development in that direction.”
The minister said she was also looking forward to consulting on views on e-cigarette flavors and packaging. She added: "We know that young people who vape are more likely to start smoking, so it's important that they are not attracted to these products."
The latest ban is part of wider measures to help tackle e-cigarette use among young people. Other countries, such as Australia, have taken steps to try to curb nicotine addiction in children by banning the use and importation of disposable e-cigarettes.
Earlier this year, the Irish government introduced the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhalation Products) Bill 2023 to prevent children from smoking or using nicotine inhalation products.
In addition to prohibiting the sale of such goods to persons under 18, the bill would also:
· Ban the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhalation products at children’s events
·Prevent self-service sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes
·Introducing a strict licensing system for the retail sale of such products
·Prohibit advertising of such products around schools and on public transportation
Public consultation on these measures will run until January 5, 2024.
