Ministers for Health welcome Dáil passing of legislation to ban vaping products being sold to under 18s

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton today welcomed the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill passing all stages of the legislative process in the Dáil. The Bill will now proceed to the Seanad. The Ministers’ intention is that the law prohibiting the sale of nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes to under 18 years old will be enacted and commenced as soon as possible.

The Bill contains wide-ranging measures to tackle smoking and vaping among children and adults. These measures focus on preventing young people from beginning to smoke or vape to protect their health.

Along with prohibiting the sale of nicotine inhaling products to under 18s the Bill will:

    prohibit the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products at events for children;

    prohibit the self-service sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products;

    introduce a strict licensing system for the retail sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products;

    prohibit the advertising of nicotine inhaling products around schools and on public transport;

    provide additional enforcement powers to the Environmental Health Service for measures in the Bill and for all previous Tobacco Control Acts.

Minister Donnelly said:

    “I am delighted that this Bill has passed all stages in the Dail. The Bill will ensure that our children cannot legally buy nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes and I look forward to introducing this measure as soon as possible. We are also introducing a licensing system for both tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products in order to better reflect the potentially harmful nature of the products being sold. Under the new system, retailers will have to apply for and be granted an annual licence for the sale of these products.”

Minister Naughton said:

    “Ireland is recognised as a global leader in tobacco control. We are continuing to innovate with the measures in this Bill with a particular focus on children. We are banning the sale of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products at events for children and further restricting the advertising of nicotine inhaling products in order to reduce the exposure of our children to these products in their daily lives.”