‘Wide-ranging’ anti-vaping bill passed by Dáil

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said he hopes to have the legislation "in law before Christmas".

The Dáil has passed legislation that bans the sale of vaping products to those under 18. According to a statement on the Government's website, the bill contains "wide-ranging measures to tackle smoking and vaping among children and adults". These measures are said to be particularly focused on "preventing young people from beginning to smoke or vape to protect their health". Along with prohibiting the sale of nicotine inhaling products to under 18s, the bill will:

• prohibit the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products at events for children
• prohibit the self-service sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products
• introduce a strict licensing system for the retail sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products
• prohibit the advertising of nicotine inhaling products around schools and on public transport
• provide additional enforcement powers to the Environmental Health Service for measures in the bill and for all previous Tobacco Control Acts

Now that the bill has passed all stages of the legislative process in the Dáil, it will now proceed to the Seanad.

Both the vaping legislation and the human tissue bill were passed final stages in the Dáil last night pic.twitter.com/6JhUHqdJQB

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 9, 2023

'Wide-ranging' anti-vaping bill passed by Dáil

In a statement welcoming the passing of the legislation, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said:

“The bill will ensure that our children cannot legally buy nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes and I look forward to introducing this measure as soon as possible. "We are also introducing a licensing system for both tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products in order to better reflect the potentially harmful nature of the products being sold. "Under the new system, retailers will have to apply for and be granted an annual licence for the sale of these products.”

Speaking on Thursday (9 November) on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the Health Minister said that he is "deeply concerned about the increase in vaping that's going on." On the bill itself, Donnelly added: "It'll go into the Seanad shortly. I'm hoping the President will then sign it and I hope to have it in law before Christmas."

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