Harris: Vaping is the 'revenge of the tobacco industry'
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Taoiseach Simon Harris described vaping as being the “revenge of the tobacco industry”, as the Cabinet prepares to approve laws to ban the sale of disposable vapes.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is seeking approval of draft laws that would ban the sale, manufacture and import of single-use vapes in Ireland.
The newly proposed laws would also ban different flavours of vapes currently available on the market.
“We live in a country where around 13% of people between the ages of 12 and 17 have vaped in the last 30 days. We need to take action in relation to that,” Mr Harris said.
He welcomed the banning of single-use vapes, both on public health grounds as well as due to the issues with litter the disposable cartridges pose.
“What we’re seeing in our towns, in our villages and in our cities right across the country is now the littering of vapes as well as the health concerns too,” Mr Harris said.
“I’d ask all parties in the Dáil and the Seanad to put their shoulders to the wheel now and let's get this legislation passed.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin described vaping as being "smoking mark two", saying the Government needed to protect the health of younger people by passing the ban.
Last year, the Government passed new laws that banned the sale of vapes to under-18s, with fines of up to €4,000 or a prison sentence of six months for retailers who break the laws.