The Minister for Health in Ireland wants to raise the minimum age for smoking to 21. He would also like to ban disposable vaping products.
Stephen Donnelly said the Government is also looking at a range of legislative measures “to come down hard” on vaping.
He made the remarks at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the workplace smoking ban in Ireland, which prohibited smoking in indoor commercial spaces.
The process for legislating new restrictions, which involves a public consultation, is complicated by Ireland’s inclusion in the EU single market, according to media reports.
Donnelly said he would personally recommend raising the smoking age and that legislation was being prepared in the event it was agreed upon at the Government level.
“It’s a measure aimed at people who are 15, 16, 17 years of age that – with a smoking age of 18 – they find it relatively easy to go to either buy the cigarettes themselves or get a friend or an older sibling to get them.
“But if you move to 21, it makes it much more difficult.” The country raised the age to 18 last year.
A public consultation will also examine issues such as banning disposable vapes and extending prohibited smoking zones to outdoor seating areas.