Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
776. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to banning the sale of e-cigarettes to those under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42083/20]
View answer777. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to banning the advertisement of e-cigarettes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42084/20]
View answer778. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the policies in place to curtail the use of e-cigarettes among young persons in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42085/20]
View answer779. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the policies in place to discourage the use of cigarettes or e-cigarettes among persons under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42086/20]
View answer781. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the percentage of young persons that use tobacco products regularly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42088/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 776 to 779, inclusive, and 781 together.
The General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill contains provisions to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to, and by, those under 18 years of age. The General Scheme was approved by the Government and has been referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Health for pre-legislative scrutiny. The Office for Parliamentary Counsel has also begun work on drafting the Bill in coordination with the Department; a first draft is awaited in the context of competing priorities such as COVID-19 and Brexit related law.
E-cigarettes are regulated under the European Union (Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco and Related Products) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 271/2016). These Regulations prohibit advertisements for e-cigarettes online and in printed publications except for those directed at persons in the e-cigarette industry. In addition, advertisements for e-cigarettes are prohibited on television, on-demand television services and on radio. Finally, any form of contribution to an event, activity or person with the aim of promoting e-cigarettes and with a cross-border effect is also prohibited. The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to curb the advertising of nicotine-inhaling products near schools, on public transport and in cinemas.
The protection of children is at the heart of Tobacco Free Ireland, Ireland’s current tobacco control policy. Measures including the workplace smoking ban in 2004 which brought an end to smoking in restaurants and cafes, prohibitions on the advertising of tobacco products at the point of sale and the introduction of plain packaging, have greatly reduced young people’s exposure to tobacco products. Local initiatives, such as Not Around Us in Limerick that promote smoke free environments have sought to further reduce the areas where smoking and vaping are present in daily public life. At a national level, the HSE adopted a Tobacco Free Campus policy for its facilities in 2012, and that was extended to electronic cigarettes in 2014. Under the Tobacco Free Ireland Programme the HSE has held discussions with several Irish universities and colleges a number of which have introduced similar policies for their own campuses.
The most recent data on smoking among young people in Ireland is from the European Schools Project on Alcohol and other Drugs 2019 Ireland report. The survey was completed by almost 2,000 Irish students aged 15 and 16 years and found that 32% of respondents had tried smoking, 14% were current smokers (reported smoking in the last 30 days) with 5% smoking daily. Separately, the Health Behaviour in School Age Children Study 2018 found that the number of 12-17 year olds who reported having tried smoking dropped by 5%, from 16% in 2014 to 11% in 2018.
