Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Ireland

Ireland: The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill has been adopted in both houses of the parliament. Along with prohibiting the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes to under-18s, it will also introduce retail licensing, prohibit sales of vapour and tobacco products through vending machines and at events intended for children, as well as ban advertising around schools and on vehicles of public transport. The bill must be signed by the president before it enters into force.

Ireland: The health minister, Stephen Donnelly, and the minister of state for public health, Hildegarde Naughton, have launched a public consultation on the regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products. The consultation focuses on what measures could be introduced to reduce the appeal of these products to young people and improve public health. It will be open until 5th January 2024.

Ireland: The tax on heated tobacco has increased from €301.430 per kg to €335.322 per kg.

Ireland: Calls have been made to raise the legal age to 21 to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes, press reports. Center-right party Fine Gael health spokesperson and Cork North Central TD (Teachta Dála, a member of the Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas – the Irish Parliament) Colm Burke has called on the government to consider this option and include it in the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2019 that is currently under consideration. Burke made this proposal at an event titled "Tobacco 21: The case for raising the legal age for the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes in Ireland" to which the Irish Heart Foundation and Council of the Irish Heart Foundation, among other medical organisations, attended. Currently, Fine Gael holds 35 seats out of 160 in the Dáil Éireann and it is part of the coalition government, alongside the center-right Fianna Fáil and the Green party.