Selling e-cigarettes to under-18s fined €4,000 and six months in jail: new bill; no vaping ban

The sale of e-cigarettes to teenagers is already banned in many European countries.

In Ireland, new legislation approved by the Cabinet today makes selling a vape to a person under the age of 18 punishable by a fine of up to €4,000 and six months in prison. Any subsequent offenses are subject to a maximum fine of €5,000 and up to 12 months in prison.

The final Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill was tabled in Cabinet this morning by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. In addition to banning the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s, the government's bill also includes several measures.

These include:

• Prohibits the sale of nicotine inhalation products to anyone under the age of 18.
• Ban the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhalants at children's events.
• Prohibits self-service sales of tobacco products and nicotine inhalation products.
• A strict licensing system is introduced for the retail sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhalation products.
• Advertising of nicotine inhalant products is prohibited in schools and on public transport.

The Environmental Health Service is given additional enforcement powers for the measures in the bill and for all previous tobacco control laws

There is currently no mandatory age limit for the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes in Ireland.

Under the new rules, licensing rules will change and a license will be required to sell vaping products on a premises.

However, the government is currently not ready to completely ban vaping products for adults.

The most recently published surveys of Irish school-aged children showed that 9% of 12- to 17-year-olds had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days, 15.5% of 15- and 16-year-olds.

An evidence review by the Health Research Board found that children who vaped were five times more likely to smoke.

The HSE does not currently recommend vaping as a way to quit smoking. Based on the evidence so far, it has been found to be less effective for smoking cessation than nicotine gum or patches.

There are no e-cigarettes on the market in Ireland approved by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) as a smoking cessation aid.

"Our research suggests that vaping among teenagers increases their risk of smoking later. Our bill is designed to intervene at every step of the process of selling these products,” Donnelly said.

"I am determined to continue making the necessary legislative changes to tackle smoking and vaping and help us all make healthier decisions for ourselves and our families," he said.

According to the World Health Organization, there are 16,000 different flavors of bubblegum and gummy bear. Many of the big tobacco companies have expanded into vaping.