New legislation passed by the Cabinet today has set out the intention to make the sale of vaping products to under 18's illegal by Christmas this year.
The new rules will see the roll out of a fine of up to €4,000 and six months in prison for any shop that sells the products to underage customers.
For further offenses, the fine will be increased to a maximum of €5,000 and up to 12 months in prison.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly shared the new legislation this morning in the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill.
The new bill sets out a number of new rules in relation to e-cigarettes and the sale of them, in addition to the sale to under 18s being made illegal.
Outlined in the new bill are rules which prohibit the sale of nicotine inhaling products to anyone under 18 years, the sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products at events for children, and the self-service sale of tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products.
A new license is set to be brought in for the sale of the products, as well as a prohibition on the advertising of nicotine inhaling products around schools and on public transport.
At the current moment, there is no legislation in place which limits the age of customers who can purchase vaping products.
The new legislation has been brought in with the aim of helping children and young people to take care of their health.
Minister Donnelly added that he would like to see “a strong EU-wide approach” on the ban of vaping products for under 18's: “So we want to see restrictions brought in on flavours. We want to see restrictions brought in on labelling.
"I certainly would be keen that we keep that under review. Restrictions on point of sale advertising. Every one of us knows when you walk into a petrol station or certain shops now you’re just bombarded with this point of sale advertising."
The sale of e-cigarettes to adolescents is already banned across a number of different European countries, including Belgium, France and Germany.
Get the latest RSVP headlines straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this LINK to receive your daily dose of RSVP Live content. We also treat our community members to wonderful competitions, promotions, along with great stories. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice