Updated 11pm

CONTROVERSIAL E-CIGARETTES are to be banned for under-18s.

Health Minister James Reilly is to ban the sale of the devices to those under the age of 18, TheJournal.ie can confirm.

“E-cigarettes contain nicotine which is a highly addictive and dangerous drug,” said a Department of Health spokesperson.

The ban comes as the department and Minister Reilly review evidence on the “potential harm and the potential benefits” as they prepare to launch wider regulation on their use in Irish society.

While e-cigarettes are marketed as a stop-smoking aid, they do contain nicotine. The UK has just banned e-cigarettes for under-18s, with the country’s Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies saying that:

We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults let alone to children, but we do know that they are not risk-free.

The EU has proposed that e-cigarettes be banned entirely if three or more member states ban their use in their own countries.

- First published 2.3opm

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