It has been confirmed that the Government intends to ban the selling of vapes to underage teenagers before the end of this year.
Plans for the legislation have been in place for several months, as vaping continues to rise in popularity amongst younger age groups.
Now, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has revealed that legislation to ban underage vape selling is in its final stages.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme, Minister Donnelly noted that he is “deeply concerned about the increase in vaping,” and the effects that it can have on underage users.
In an effort to help tackle the issue, Minister Donnelly shared that the Government intends to have the legislation written into law within the next few weeks.
“I hope to have it in law before Christmas,” he stated.
At the moment, vapes - which are also commonly referred to as e-cigarettes - do not have a mandatory age restriction when purchasing them in Ireland.
However, under the Government’s upcoming legislation, those under the age of 18 will no longer be able to buy vaping products in Ireland.
In order to help tackle the issue amongst young people, the new law will see advertisements for e-cigarettes being banned near schools and on public transport. The selling of vaping products will also no longer be allowed in vending machines or at events for children.
The new bill has been slightly delayed for several months. Minister Donnelly initially brought it to the Government in its finalised version in May of this year, and it had been hoped that it could have been enacted as early as July.
It is hoped that the legislation will tackle Ireland’s growing health concerns, as the Health Research Board recently found that children who vaped were five times more likely to start smoking.
