Vaping ban for under-18s under new Bill
The Government is to draft a Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill which will ban vaping products for under-18s.
The proposed legislation will:
- prohibit the sale of nicotine inhaling products to persons under 18 years,
- prohibit the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products by those under 18 years,
- prohibit the sale of tobacco products from self-service vending machines,
- prohibit the sale of tobacco products at events/locations primarily intended for persons under 18 years,
- introduce a licensing system for the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products to include an annual fee per premises,
- introduce minimum suspension periods for tobacco retailers convicted of offences,
- introduce fixed penalty notices (on the spot fines) for offences,
- publish the name of anyone fined or convicted.
The General Scheme of the Bill is to be sent to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health for pre-legislative scrutiny.
The sale of tobacco products to under-18s is already prohibited under the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts (2002-2015).
Nicotine inhaling products (also known as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and electronic cigarettes) are available in a wide variety of models but the mechanism of delivery of nicotine is similar.
Vapour
Electronic cigarettes heat a solution (e-liquid) to create an aerosol or vapour which users inhale.
The e-liquid usually contains nicotine as well as chemicals such as propylene glycol and can also include glycerol and flavourings, which have in certain jurisdictions been marketed to children.