Ban disposable vapes.. like UK
Tanaiste calls for action now
Tanaiste Micheal Martin has said he “hopes” ireland could follow in the UK’S footsteps and introduce an outright ban on disposable vapes.
The Fianna Fail leader added he would welcome any “crackdown” on the products which, he argued, are being put beside sweets to entice children.
UK Prime Minister Rishi announced this week his plans to ban them from being sold completely.
It is already illegal to sell vapes to under-18s in the UK.
Mr Sunak stated adults who want to use vapes as a mechanism to quit smoking will still have access to the products in some way.
The Tanaiste, who introduced the smoking ban when he was health minister in 2004, has previously stated vapes are the “tobacco industry’s revenge”. He told the Irish Mirror yesterday he would “hope” that Ireland could replicate what the UK is planning to do.
Mr Martin added: “I’m very anti-vapes generally.
“The old trick of the tobacco industry was kids went in to buy sweets.
“You had the cigarettes next to the sweets.
“You now have the vapes next to the sweets, different flavours and so on like that. So clearly, the objective is to get young people hooked and you have an industry for the next 50 years without any proper due diligence on what goes into these products.
“In view, there needs to be far greater from a health perspective analysis of the products in terms of their harmful impact.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton launched a public consultation in November to “inform future regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products, such as e-cigarettes or vapes”.
Minister Donnelly said last year he plans to tackle the flavour and
appearance of vapes.