Tag: Ireland

Irish Vape Group to Urge Health Officials Against Flavor Ban
Members of the Irish Vape Vendors Association (IVVA) will argue today that flavored nicotine vaping products should not be restricted in newly proposed tobacco control legislation.
The Joint Committee on Health is meeting with representatives from the IVVA for pre-legislative scrutiny of the general proposals included in the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill.
The proposed legislation would prohibit the sale of vaping and tobacco and heat-not-burn (HnB) products to persons under the age of 18. It will also make it illegal for under-18s to sell such products, according to The Journal.
Credit: a4stockphotos
The committee previously heard concerns from the Irish Heart Foundation that teen smoking rates are increasing for the first time in ten years due to an “explosion” of vaping among this age group.
“Research from the Health Research Board has found that teenagers who vape are up to five times more likely to take up smoking citing the gateway effect. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these and other related matters with representatives,” a committee member said.
A spokesperson for the IVVA argues that e-liquid flavors are of vital importance to adult vapers. The IVVA says it is “deeply concerned” by the negative effects a flavor ban could have on tobacco harm reduction and consumer choice.
“The main argument in favor of banning flavored e-liquids is the potential risk of making vaping products more attractive to minors with child-friendly flavorings & packaging. The association between vaping flavors and subsequent smoking initiation is not substantiated. Banning flavored e-liquids would also run counter to vape consumers’ interest. IVVA members observe daily that the choice of e-liquid flavors is one of the reasons that encourages an adult smoker make the switch to vaping.” the IVVA will tell the committee.
Ireland hopes to be tobacco-free by 2025.
February 15, 2022
Ireland Making Progress Towards Smoke-Free Goal

Photo: sezerozger
Ireland has made progress toward its goal of being smoke-free by 2025, according to the republic’s department of health, reports Joe.
The announcement follows the publication of the Tobacco Free Ireland 2020 Annual Report, which outlines “several key achievements” in 2020, despite Covid-19 disruptions. These achievements consist of the inclusion of information on the dangers of tobacco use in Healthy Choices 1, the first substance misuse module of Junior Cycle Social, Personal and Health Education; the launch of a new quit marketing campaign called The Last Stop; the completion of three comprehensive evidence reviews on electronic cigarettes and heated-tobacco products by the Health Research Board; and an increase of $0.50 per pack of cigarettes with pro-rata increases on other tobacco products included in Budget 2021.
“By working to remove smoking from daily life in Ireland and educating young people on the dangers of tobacco while making cessation assistance as widely available as possible, we can continue to build on the promising results we have seen in recent years,” said Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. “I urge anyone that is thinking of quitting to act now. Stopping smoking remains one of the best decisions a person can make for their health. The last 18 months has further highlighted the importance of being proactive about our own health and the health of those around us. The HSE quit service remains available to anyone that needs it.”
September 13, 2021
Ireland has Highest Percentage of Vapers in EU
Ireland has the highest rate of people who use e-cigarettes in the European Union at 7 percent, while the EU average is 2 percent.
Credit: Haiberliu
According to a new survey from Eurobarometer, Ireland also has the highest percentage of people in the EU who use cannabis products at 17 percent. Tim Hayes of the European Commission said the number of Irish people smoking cigarettes has continued to decline, according to breakingnews.ie.
“Luckily, the number of people smoking is steadily declining in Ireland, and now only one in five smoke tobacco on a daily basis,” he said. “Nevertheless, about one in ten smoke e-cigarettes, and surprisingly, almost one in five have smoked cannabis over the last year.”
February 9, 2021
Juul Labs to Exit Irish Market After Just 2 Years
Less than two years ago, Juul Labs entered the Irish vaping market with great enthusiasm. The company now plans to withdraw from the country at the end of this year, according to a story in the Irish Independent.
Credit: Juul Labs
Juul Labs told workers in September that the vaping giant planned to exit some European and Asia-Pacific markets and cutting more of its remaining 2,200 employees.
“Although much has been achieved in a short space of time, at a global level the company has had to make some difficult decisions about how best to serve its mission,” the company told suppliers in Ireland in recent weeks, according to the story.
“As part of this process the company has made the decision to focus its investment on core markets in order to best position itself for the long term, therefore unfortunately have informed us of their intention to exit the Irish market,” it added in a memo seen by the Irish Independent.
“Juul Ireland will be ceasing operations at the end of this 2020 calendar year,” it said.
The company launched in Ireland initially selling its products in 160 Circle-K forecourts and 50 Hale Vaping stores.
November 23, 2020
Health Group Wants Irish Leaders to Impose E-Cig Tax

Credit: Diogo Palhais
The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) wants the Irish government to impose an excise tax of $.06 per millilitre of e-liquid. It is expected to add a possible 10-25 percent to the consumer’s price.
The IHF is also asking that the budget increase the price of the most popular price category of cigarettes from €13.70 to €20 through a series of annual tax increases. Chris Macey, head of advocacy at the IHF, said that a larger tax increase on tobacco would help deter vapers from switching back to smoking.
Macey argued that branding that features cartoon characters, flavors such as cotton candy and bubblegum, paired with aggressive marketing tactics on social media platforms used by teenagers, show this claim is “preposterous.”
Macey added that studies showed that tax increases on e-cigarettes had proven to be effective in reducing youth use.
October 10, 2020