The Government’s decision to “bypass” pre-legislative scrutiny on the Vape Bill risks devastating small businesses and driving adults back to smoking, Ireland’s leading trade association for vape retailers has claimed.
Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), the national trade association for vaping retailers, has called on the Minister for Health and the Oireachtas Health Committee to ensure that pre-legislative scrutiny is carried out on the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2025.
Last year, it was announced that disposable vapes were set to be banned and vape flavours and colours restricted under new legislation proposed by the government. The Bill, published by the Department of Health in September 2024, introduces further restrictions on nicotine inhaling products or vapes. Advertising of vapes will be banned under the legislation except in dedicated vape shops, while new packaging restrictions are set to regulate colours and imagery.
The legislation has been in the pipeline for years; In October 2019, the government approved the drafting of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill and the publication of the General Scheme of the Bill. The Government also authorised the referral of the General Scheme to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health for pre-legislative scrutiny.
In a statement, the Government said last year: “The aim of the proposed legislation is to contribute to achieving a tobacco free Ireland by 2025 with particular emphasis on the protection of children and the denormalisation of smoking. The proposed legislation will introduce a licensing system for the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products and place restrictions on the sale of these products, such as the prohibition on the sale of nicotine inhaling products by and to under persons under 18 years.”
However, RVI claims that the vaping bill will remove a tool for people to reduce their tobacco usage.
The proposed ban on flavoured vapes, the introduction of plain packaging, and a total prohibition on the in-store display and advertising of vaping products could have negative public health consequences, it said in a statement.
It says that data from Healthy Ireland points to the importance of vaping products as a tool to quit smoking. In total, over 225,000 Irish adults have quit smoking with the help of vapes since 2015, according to the data cited.
“In 2023, nearly one in four Irish adults who successfully quit smoking did so with the help of vapes, meaning over 23,000 Irish adults quit smoking with the help of vapes in 2023,” RVI said. It highlighted a further study carried out by the European School Survey Project that found that over the past 30 years, the lifetime prevalence of cigarette use has halved, from 68% to 32%, with Ireland being one of the EU countries with the greatest reductions in smoking rates.
The organisation has called on Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, to reflect on what it says are the potential consequences of the implementation of this bill, including rising smoking rates and increased tobacco usage. Such significant measures should proceed without detailed examination by Oireachtas members and meaningful engagement with key stakeholders RVI said, calling on the TDs and Senators serving on the Oireachtas Health Committee to give the Bill the thorough scrutiny it requires and to consult widely with stakeholders.
“Pre-legislative scrutiny is an essential part of the legislative process, ensuring different perspectives are heard and that the best available international evidence is considered when creating new laws.
“RVI believes it is critical that due process is followed in enacting such far-reaching legislation, particularly when the impact it could have on reducing smoking rates is unclear.”
Lorraine Carolan, RVI spokesperson, said: “This is an important day to reflect on the significant reduction in tobacco use in Ireland.
“But we must also acknowledge the effective tools that have helped us achieve this progress, including the accessibility of vaping products, which have supported many people in moving away from smoking.
“The Minister should today take a step back and reflect on the potential public health impacts of a widespread vape ban.
“Legislation involving changes of this scale must be evidence-based and carefully considered, not rushed through the Oireachtas without informed debate.”
“We fully support responsible regulation of the vaping industry. However, there must be balance. Evidence shows that blanket bans on vaping products often do more harm than good,” Carolan concluded.
The Government has argued that the ban on the sale of nicotine inhaling products to under-18s did not go far enough, and says that the legislation will tackle the rise in the use of ’vapes’ among children and young people by reducing their attractiveness and availability.
In Britain, a ban on single-use vapes from the shelves of all shops came into effect last Sunday. The government blitz on sale and supply was billed as a measure to tackle youth vaping. However, some industry leaders have suggested that the new law could potentially backfire, and lead to former smokers returning to traditional tobacco.