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Tag: HSE

  • Ireland Called to Consider Australian-Style Vape Ban

    Ireland Called to Consider Australian-Style Vape Ban

    Calls to restrict vape sales to pharmacies have resurfaced in Ireland after a regional health forum asked the Health Service Executive to study whether an Australia-style model could curb youth vaping. At the HSE South-West Regional Health Forum, councilors from multiple parties backed a motion from Cork City South East Councilor Peter Horgan, urging research into the potential benefits and drawbacks of limiting vape sales to pharmacy-only settings. The proposal follows mounting concern over youth use, with estimates suggesting one in five 15–16 year olds now vape, and ongoing criticism of brightly colored devices and sweet flavors seen as appealing to children.

    Supporters of the motion pointed to Australia’s 2024 shift to pharmacy-only sales for all vaping products as a possible template, arguing that higher prices and restricted access there may have reduced affordability for young people despite illicit trade challenges. HSE representatives highlighted existing national campaigns aimed at parents, schools and teenagers, including peer-led education and the “Take a Breath” initiative launched in 2025. The forum agreed to seek national HSE funding for a feasibility study, with the intention of using the findings to inform future policy discussions at the government level.

  • Ireland’s Crackdown on Vape Sales to Minors Sees Few Consequences

    Ireland’s Crackdown on Vape Sales to Minors Sees Few Consequences

    Nearly 15% of retailers across Ireland have been caught violating laws banning the sale of vapes to children, with only a fraction facing legal consequences, according to new figures from the Health Service Executive (HSE). Enacted in December 2023, the law makes it illegal to sell nicotine-inhaling products to those under 18 years old. Since then, the HSE’s National Environmental Health Service has carried out 699 test-purchase inspections and found 102 to be non-compliant.

    Of the 52 cases of non-compliance recorded in 2024, just 19 resulted in court proceedings to date. Only 12 led to convictions and fines, while six were resolved under the Probation Act, and one was dismissed.

    Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly said the low number of prosecutions undermines the law’s credibility: “A law is only as strong as its enforceability. We have to make sure retailers are complying.”