Irish cabinet to approve ban on disposable vapes

Stephen Donnelly has said the plans to introduce a ban are on environmental and public health grounds

The Irish government is set to ban disposable vapes.

Cabinet approval was given Tuesday morning to draft laws tabled by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Under the proposed laws there will be a complete ban on the sale, manufacture or import of single-use or disposable vapes in Ireland.

The legislation will also introduce a ban on a multitude of flavours that the government believe often appeal to children – it is estimated that as many as 15,000 flavour combinations exist.

'Disproportionately used by younger people'

The laws will also introduce a ban on point-of-sale display or advertising in shops, other than specialist shops that only sell the products.

Mr Donnelly also wants to place restrictions on colours and imagery on packages and the devices to ensure they are not aimed at younger people.

Ireland has already banned the sale of all nicotine inhaling products to under 18s and a range of other curbs such as advertising, pop-up shop sales and a ban of sale from vending machines will commence next year.

The minister has said the plans to introduce a ban are on environmental and public health grounds.

Government research notes that single-use vapes are relatively inexpensive and are often "an impulse purchase in shops and disproportionately used by younger people who often experiment with them".

The impact on the environment includes littering and being incorrectly disposed of in bins (they should be recycled due to plastics and battery) and there are public health concerns that the devices could be resulting in the release of toxic compounds into the environment.

The minister for health says he is also concerned that the products sold in Ireland contain the maximum permitted allowed levels of nicotine (20mg) and on their own are not an effective means of quitting cigarette smoking.

Arriving at cabinet this morning, the Taoiseach Simon Harris said that vaping is "the revenge of the tobacco industry".

"We live in a country where around 13% of people between the ages of 12 and 17 have vaped in the last 30 days," he said.

"We need to take action."