Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
1591. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to control access to vaping products for children under the age of 18 years to restrict the sale of highly flavoured vapes which are marketed towards children and to control the levels of nicotine in vapes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57092/23]
View answerIt is an offence to sell e-cigarettes to persons under 18 since 22 December 2023 when section 28 of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 was commenced. The offence carries a penalty of a fine up to €4,000 and/up to a six month term of imprisonment.
The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act will also introduce:
• a prohibition on the sale of nicotine inhaling products from self-service vending machines, temporary or moveable premises, and events aimed at children.
• a prohibition on the advertising of nicotine inhaling products near schools, in cinemas, or on public transport.
• My Department recently completed a public consultation to help inform future regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. This consultation looked at what further measures could be introduced to decrease the appeal of nicotine inhaling products to young people. Views were sought on the following areas:
• The display of nicotine inhaling products in shops
• Nicotine inhaling product flavours
• The appearance of nicotine inhaling products and their packaging
• Proxy sales of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products
• Smoking in outdoor dining areas
• Extending smoke free restrictions to vaping
• Increasing the age of sale for tobacco products
• Taxation of vaping liquids
• In the context of all of these considerations, options for the development of further and comprehensive legislation on nicotine inhaling products will be examined.
• The nicotine content of nicotine inhaling products is regulated by the Tobacco Products Directive (Directive 2014/40/EU). These Regulations also provide for mandatory safety and quality requirements for e-cigarettes and refill containers, including maximum volumes for cartridges, tanks and nicotine liquid containers. These Regulations were transposed into Irish law by S.I. 271 of 2016.
