Enhanced protections are needed to safeguard children in Ireland from being exposed to the online sale, marketing and promotion of potentially health-harming products, such as gambling, junk food, tobacco and e-cigarettes, a new report by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) has found. The report was developed to support the work of the Online Health Taskforce (OHT), established by the Department of Health to develop a public health response to harms caused to children and young people by certain types of online activity.  

This report informed the final OHT report which makes ten recommendations to address the complex challenges facing children and young people in digital environments. The IPH report examined how children in Ireland are exposed to digital content selling, marketing and promoting potentially health-harming products, as well as regulatory gaps and policy options to better protect children online. The products examined included tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol, sunbeds, gambling, and food and drinks that are high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS).  

See also, related reports -

• Online Health Taskforce. (2025) Online health and rights for Ireland’s children and young people.
• The National Youth Assembly on Youth of Ireland. (2025) The National Youth Assembly on Youth online health. Summary report.