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LEGISLATION TO INCREASE the legal age at which tobacco can be bought from 18 to 21 is to be tabled in the Dáil today.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, who brought forward the legislation, will present the Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment Bill 2024 in Leinster House this afternoon.
Cabinet approved the proposed legislation in May. The move is aimed at reducing the number of people who smoke as, though numbers here have fallen, the rate has plateaued and 18% of Irish adults smoke.
It is also designed to deter young people from taking up smoking. According to the Department of Health, smoking continues to kill 4,500 Irish people every year.
The Bill provides that current penalties for anyone convicted of selling tobacco products to people under the age of 18 will be extended to cover convictions relating to sales to people under the age of 21, including fines of up to €4,000 or six months’ imprisonment, or both, for a first offence.
However, if passed, the law won’t take effect until 2028. This is to ensure that those that turned 18 before the Bill comes into effect will not be affected.
Donnelly said the legislation “clearly signals that we are moving to endgame in our war on combustible tobacco”.
“These products are addictive and lethal, killing two out of every three users, reducing life expectancy by an average of 10 years and causing an enormous range of preventable illness and disability,” he said.
Ireland aims to become the first country in the EU to introduce this measure. Latvia has enacted law to raise the minimum age of sale to 20 in 2025.
The legislation will not impact the minimum legal age of sale of vapes or other nicotine inhaling products. The sale of vapes to under 18s has been banned since December and there is currently no proposal to extend this ban to the age of 21.
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Fine. Now let’s get to legalizing weed, please
@Wicked Hedgehog: that will have the people turned schizophrenic, running around with knives attacking people. Dangerous stuff indeed keep it away.
@Wicked Hedgehog: Yes, that’s worked so well in America.
@Wicked Hedgehog: I think alcohol is a bigger problem in Ireland, should we look at banning it?
@Mick Joe: America ain’t the only country where weed is legal a Nation that shoots people for fun isn’t good example how about Spain where you can buy it in weed clubs or Holland and soon to be in Germany
@Stephen Blood: just back from kos, they had vending machine in some shops selling weed, pre rolled joints and even the gummies,
@Meatball Martin: personally I wouldn’t want it to be honest, I’ve nothing against anyone who wants to smoke it as I’m a ex smoker myself but vending machine with no control over will end up with 6yr old kids off their tots on gummies, a shop in kos had a locked door that you had to ask to be opened and let in, then it was like an aladins cave for weed smokers, very well managed and controlled
@Sean Money: The health hazards of any substance come from having unregulated supply.
Take it out of the hand of criminals, and those problems go away.
Yet another argument for legalisation.
@Wicked Hedgehog: Need a few generations of Sky-pointers gone (just like Sean there), we’re not a very rational people. Get a Vivosun or some-such discreet automated set up, and you can control your needs plus your not supporting crime, rather the already gargantuan industry. Just that Ireland doesn’t benefit in any way, cant use the money to support health lead approach etc.
Why ban the sale of tobacco product to under 21s but the establishment are pushing for children their change their gender
Just an observation. I was in our local shop at the weekend, young and very capable confident student working for summer, one person handed in lotto slip, student had to press bell for assistance as under 18, next person requested cigs, again student had to ring bell for assistance.
@Nancy Gallagher: What’s your point? That we should stop phasing out smoking because of inconvenience?
@Dennis L: Probs there should always be someone over 18 in attendance would be fine
Totally agree with that bill and it should be extended to vapes
But it wil drive the whole thing underground more
@John Gaughan: Australia has now restricted the sale of vapes to pharmacies only. A step in the right direction
@John C: Doctor on the radio this morning explaining that vaping was safer alternative than smoking cigarettes and the lesser of two evils, I think it’s you that’s the dope and a big one at that.
Nanny state telling people what to do . Sitting on a couch watching TV for 4 hrs a day on top of sitting at a desk for 8 is a far greater health risk.
It’s nearly 20 euros a pack now.
But at least the choice remain
They will just get their 22 year old mate to buy the Cogs for them
I don’t smoke anymore I find ffgs hubris disgusting at this stage and at least 50,% of there support know, we diverse a better way
@Robert Halvey: we diverse a better way of what?
Kids don’t smoke cigarettes they vape so all a bit pointless
@Martin Curtin: though that’s not true it seems
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210920/Study-finds-rising-rates-of-smoking-and-vaping-among-teenagers-in-Ireland.aspx
Should be banned completely.
“The health hazards of any substance come from having unregulated supply”
Are the cigarettes bought in shops a healthy version? Does alcohol served in pubs have no impact on our livers?
Wow.
Pointless to do anything about tobacco without mirroring it for vapes.
It took years for vapes not to be sold to under 18′s yet it was patently obvious they were bad.
Typical government garbage policies where they’re done out of step and allow damage to be done.
@Meatball Martin: Vapes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.
And a poison.
Vapes should only be of use to those trying to stop smoking. No one else should be using them.
Do you own a vape import business, by any chance?
There is no reasonable argument for the use of vapes, except for those trying to give up smoking.
Did they never hear of king Canute?
@Padraig O’Brien: A wise man he was. He took some of his Lords and Courtiers down to the sea to prove to them that he was NOT all powerful. He ordered the tide to stop and it didn’t. Ppint effectively made.
have your say