Propose vape ban legislation doesn’t go far enough, says Ward

Fine Gael TD Barry Ward has praised government legislation which looks to ban the sale of single-use vapes – but said it somewhat misses the forest for the trees.

A bill introduced by Fianna Fáil would look to ban the sale of single-use vapes in 2026, along with plans to ban flavoured vapes, but the Dún Laoghaire TD said the scope of the bill was lacking in ambition.

“This Bill misses the point; when we are legislating in relation to vapes, why are we not legislating to deal with the fact that nicotine is being distributed widely? It is a corrosive, addictive and carcinogenic product, and we are not doing anything to stop it from being distributed – that is the real missed opportunity,” he said.

Ward said that the existing Public Health (Tobacco) Acts should have their language changed, replacing “tobacco” with “nicotine.”

“Any product that promotes or delivers nicotine is bad for the population,” he said.

Ward said that while he welcomed the bill, he said it was a “real missed opportunity” to address wider issues surrounding public health.

“An opportunity has also been missed in not addressing nicotine and the targeting of these products. I do not doubt that the industry would deny children are being targeted, but that is what the flavours are for. Adults may indulge in them, but they are primarily aimed at children.”

The Southside TD noted the environmental impact of vapes – which the government stated they would address in 2026 – but said that, as it stands, the bill does not immediately address the concerns and impact vapes on local areas.

“They are everywhere. Everybody knows that. They see them, particularly in town centres. They are even seen next to bins. They somehow do not seem to find their way into the bins, but are littered around them. Those horrible stickers are put onto the bins as well.”

“Not only is this a huge growth industry, as evidenced by the proliferation of shops throughout our towns and villages around the country, but people are now starting vaping without using cigarettes first and we do not know what harm it is doing to them.”

He added, “notwithstanding laws that might be in place, we know that lots and lots of children are doing this and that flavoured vapes are specifically targeted at those children. This Bill does nothing to address that either.”

The legislation itself is an expanded version of a 2023 law passed by then-Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, which banned the sales of vapes to people under-18, but as other TDs noted, that legislation had loopholes which haven’t been addressed since it became law.

Standing in for Ward’s colleague, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Fianna Fáil TD and junior health minister Jennifer Murrane O’Connor cited the 2022 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, which found that 19% of 12-to-17-year-old children have used a vape.

The report further stated that 13% reported that they had used one in the past 30 days. 

“These numbers are unacceptable, and one of my priorities as Minister of State with responsibility for public health is to take whatever action we can to bring those down to zero,” she said.