Information from newstalk reveals that Ireland’s Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has submitted legislation to parliament to ban the purchase of e-cigarettes by individuals under the age of 18.
Minister of State Hildeguarde Naughton stated, “I have committed to further legislating in this regard.”
Norton added that the government has initiated a consultation campaign, seeking people’s opinions and understanding what measures Ireland needs to take to reduce the appeal of nicotine products.
Over the next four weeks, the government will seek public input on several areas, including the display of nicotine inhalation products in stores, increasing sales of tobacco and nicotine inhalation products, and the proposal to increase the price of e-cigarettes. In response, the pro-smoking rights organization “Forest” has criticized the suggested further regulation, citing the risk of hastily formulating policies.
John Mallon, spokesperson for Forest, stated: “We urge the government not to succumb to moral panic over e-cigarettes and to regulate low-risk products in a lenient manner to avoid undermining their effectiveness as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes.”
