THE GOVERNMENT HAS banned the sale of nicotine inhaling products to people under 18 years of age.

From tomorrow, those who sell such products to children could be fined up to €4,000 or face six months in prison.

The new law comes as a public consultation has been launched to determine a range of stricter regulations on the pricing, display and advertising of e-cigarettes and vapes.

Speaking about the new law, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly thanked those in the Oireachtas “who understood the urgency” of the change.

He said that in 2024, other measures of the The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill will be implemented. These include banning the sale of tobacco and nicotine products at self-service checkouts and prohibiting advertisements near schools and on public transport. 

Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton said the new law is “a good beginning”.

“The protection of children is at the centre of our national tobacco control policy, Tobacco Free Ireland, and I welcome this major step forward in that direction,” she said.

“We know that young people who vape are more likely to go on to smoke, so it is important that they are not drawn to these products.”

The public consultation is now open for submissions until Friday, 5 January 2024.

Donnelly and Naughton want “as many people as possible” to engage with the public consultation in the coming weeks.