Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1773. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the extent to which his Department and the HSE monitor juvenile consumption of tobacco-inhaling products, including e-cigarettes and other vaping products; if statistical analysis of juvenile use of such products has been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40370/22]
View answerThe prevalence of the use of both tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products such as electronic cigarettes continues to be monitored by both the Department of Health and the HSE, using several surveys of differing regularity and methodologies.
The Healthy Ireland survey has been conducted each year since 2015, monitoring a number of lifestyle indicators among people aged 15 years and older in Ireland. These surveys saw the number of people using electronic cigarettes rising from 3% in 2015 to 5% in 2019 and down to 4% in 2021.
The HSE's Smoking Prevalence tracker survey has been carried out quarterly since 2002, tracking prevalence among Irish adults aged 15 years and over. The data is weighted by gender, age, social class and region. The most recent report combining the findings of 2021's quarterly surveys found a prevalence of 6.1% in the use of electronic cigarettes.
On young people specifically, the 2018 Health Behaviour in School - Aged Children (HBSC) survey consisted of more than 15,000 young people aged 8 - 18 years old answering a self - completion questionnaire on a wide range of health behaviour issues.
This survey found that 26% of boys and 18% of girls reported having ever used electronic cigarettes. 10% of boys reported having used these products in the last 30 days with 7% of girls reporting the same. Overall, 22% of 12 to 17 year old children reported that they had ever used electronic cigarettes. This was the first time that a question on the use of electronic cigarettes had been included. The 2022 survey is currently being conducted.
The 2019 edition of Ireland's European Schools Project for Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Survey, which collects comparable data on substance use among students aged 15 and 16, found that 39% of respondents had tried e-cigarettes and 18% were current users. This was the second time that this topic had been included in the ESPAD survey and showed an increase in levels recorded in both responses from the previous 2015 survey.
The findings of these surveys will continue to be monitored by my Department.
Provisions within the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill will further regulate nicotine inhaling products such as electronic cigarettes and reduce their availability to young people. These measures will include prohibiting the sale of these products by or to anyone under the age of 18, and the creation of a new licensing system for the retail sale of both tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.
