Retailers selling tobacco and vaping products will be required to purchase a licence annually, starting in 2026, as the government aims to crack down on smoking, The Irish Times reported this week.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly – along with Minister of State for Public Health Colm Burke – announced that the remaining sections of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 are to come into effect.
From 2 February 2026, an annual licensing fee will be introduced for retailers selling tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products.
The annual fee will be €1,000 for the sale of tobacco products and €800 for the sale of nicotine-inhaling products, such as vapes.
Currently, retailers must pay a one-off fee of €50 to sell tobacco products, while there are no requirements for the sale of vaping products.
Under the new system, retailers will require in-date licences that can be acquired by applying through the HSE’s National Environmental Health Services.
The law also notes that licences will not be issued for temporary retailers, such as pop-up shops at festivals, and that licences can be suspended or revoked.
‘A Tobacco-Free Ireland’
Speaking about the new measures, Donnelly said that he hoped that the licences will act as a “disincentive”, helping to reduce and eventually eliminate tobacco use.
Donnelly said, “It is my intention that a licensing regime for nicotine-inhaling products will similarly reduce the number of outlets where they are sold, in turn reducing the use of vapes by young people and non-smokers.
“Retailers have always shown cooperation and compliance on the introduction of new tobacco control measures, and I look forward to that same spirit on the introduction of this system.”
He added that the lead-up of over a year meant that he was confident that “retailers have sufficient notice to prepare”.
He said, “It will be another important achievement within our overall strategy to reach a tobacco-free Ireland.”
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