Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler): I thank all of the Senators for their valuable contributions to the debate on this important Bill. Data from the Global Burden of Disease study shows that the smoking of combustible products remains the biggest single cause of disability and death in Ireland. We have made important progress with this Bill to further reduce those harms with the introduction of a licensing system and the banning of the sale of these products from vending machines, pop-up shops and at events for children.

With this Bill, we are banning the sale of e-cigarettes to our children. The Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, will introduce that ban immediately. As Senators know, he is committed to introducing further comprehensive legislation on e-cigarettes. As a first step, he launched our public consultation on 25 November.

We know that successful actions in respect of public health problems such as smoking and alcohol consumption require multiple evidence-based interventions in order to affect usage. Each aspect of the product, including pricing, advertising, packaging and manner of sale, needs to be addressed in order to have a successful impact. No single measure can be effective on its own and, therefore, a joint consultation and co-ordinated action on e-cigarettes is the approach that we are taking. We are seeking views on a point-of-sale ban, packaging, flavours and other interventions to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes for our children. In addition, our consultation contains questions on behalf of the Minister for Finance on his proposal to introduce a domestic tax on nicotine inhaling products. The Minister for Health looks forward to receiving the results of that consultation.

I again thank Senators for their important contributions. We look forward to the measures in this Bill leading to a lasting improvement in the health and well-being of our young people and our society.

Senator Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. While the Bill is short, it is extremely important. Vaping is a new scourge among young people. We often say that drugs are the new drink. To a large extent, our society suffered for many decades from people abusing alcohol and now the problem seems to be with drugs. Vapes are the new cigarettes for young people. It is shocking that more than 20% of young people vape on a regular basis, including people under 18 years of age. As a result of the good work of the Minister for Health and the passing of the Bill, it will be illegal to sell vapes to people under the age of 18. This is only the start. It is acknowledged by the Minister, the Minister of State and across the House that this is just an incremental step in dealing with vaping. We need to stamp out vaping. We need to make vaping antisocial and anti-trendy. It is not trendy; it is disgusting.

I do not buy into the notion that vaping is used as a step-down from smoking cigarettes. Vaping is illegal in Australia. Someone who wants to vape to give up smoking in Australia needs a prescription from a GP. That is where we need to get to with vaping. We need to close down the horrible vaping shops that are proliferating in every town and village. They are disgusting.

I remember we had a beautiful shop in Ennis, Record Rack. As children we used to go in to buy CDs and, before that, tapes. Now it is a vaping shop. Unfortunately, it is not the only one; there are many more in Ennis, throughout County Clare and throughout Ireland. Our high streets are polluted with vaping shops. We need to eliminate it.

I look forward to further legislation in this area in the lifetime of this Government. I commend the Minister of State. If I do not see her in the Chamber between now and the end of term, I wish her and her family a happy Christmas.

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