The sale of nicotine-inhaling products at events aimed at children is to be banned, carrying a €2,000 on-the-spot fine if ignored.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signed the new legislation to apply the fine for the sale of tobacco products at events aimed at children or events where the majority of attendees are under 18.
The measure comes under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023, which commenced in March.
It aims to strengthen the regulation of nicotine-inhaling products and to help in the effort towards eliminating the use of tobacco products.
In a statement, Donnelly said that these measures are urgent due to the health and addiction risk associated with these products.
Donnelly said, “I welcome the coming-into-operation of further provisions of our 2023 Act.
“I am developing new tobacco control law, bringing law through the Houses and implementing law that has already passed.
“The urgency is to save lives that are being lost because of a common commercial product that kills.
“I am determined to help smokers to quit, to prevent new smokers being created through experimentation with tobacco products or nicotine-inhaling products, and to use every means at my disposal to protect the health of our population, and especially of our children.”
Implementation
Responding to the introduction of the fine, British American Tobacco (BAT) Ireland country manager David Melinn said, “BAT Ireland welcomes today’s news to introduce fines for those selling tobacco or vaping products at events for children.
“To complement today’s news, and truly restrict the use and appeal of vapes among the underage, a licensing and retail regime needs to be in place.
“We urge the government to develop secondary legislation and toll out this long-awaited system, which was promised as part of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act, adopted last December, which will allow the HSE to revoke licences and apply penalties if tobacco or vaping products are found to be sold to underage.
“As part of the bolstering of the licencing system, retailers should also have to demonstrate to HSE Environmental Health that they observe Challenge 25 protocols or new age verification technologies at point of sale, such as facial-recognition cameras.”
The news comes after the government granted Donnelly approval to draft new legislation that will ban the sale of disposable vapes.
Vape Business Ireland spokesperson Paul Malone called the proposal “extreme” and warned that the ban was in danger of “hurting small businesses”.
Simon Carroll of Hale Vaping said in a previous interview with Checkout that implementation of current laws was paramount to ensuring regulation within the industry, above introducing new restrictions.
“You can introduce laws until the cows come home,” Carroll said, “but if they aren’t enforced, they are pointless.”
Read More: Disposable Vapes Set To Be Banned In New Legislation
