A NEW law now in effect in Ireland introduces an on-the-spot €2k fine for anyone caught selling vapes or nicotine products at children’s events.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly signed the legislation into law this week, with the fine now applicable for the offence of selling tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products at events aimed at children.
In March this year, Minister Donnelly strengthened numerous sections of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 to better protect children from the effects of tobacco and nicotine.
Those amendments came into operation yesterday (September 23).
They include new measures banning the selling of tobacco or nicotine inhaling products at events aimed particularly at children, or at which the majority of the participants or audience are children.
A fixed penalty of €2,000 is now attached to that offence.
“I welcome the coming into operation of further provisions of our 2023 Act,” Minister Donnelly said.
“I am developing new tobacco control law, bringing law through the Houses and implementing law that has already passed.”
He added: “The urgency is to save lives that are being lost because of a common commercial product that kills.
“I am determined to help smokers to quit, to prevent new smokers being created through experimentation with tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products and to use every means at my disposal to protect the health of our population and especially of our children.”
Last week, the Irish Government approved the drafting of Minister Donnelly’s Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill, which will regulate the packaging, flavours and retail display of vaping products.
It will also ban single-use and disposable vapes in Ireland.
The Minister is also set to bring his Public Health (Tobacco) Amendment Bill through the Dail – which, if passed, will make Ireland the first EU country to set a minimum legal age of sale of tobacco products at 21.