Flavour ban fears raised ahead of Dáil debate on vaping bill

A national body representing thousands of independent vape retailers has warned that proposed new restrictions on flavoured vaping products could undermine efforts to help people quit smoking.

Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), which represents more than 3,300 retailers, has raised concerns following the publication of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026.

The legislation, which is due to be debated in the Dáil tomorrow, aims to tighten regulations around nicotine products, particularly to prevent access by children.

However, RVI has said that some of the measures could have unintended consequences for adult smokers trying to quit.

Among the most contentious proposals is a near total ban on flavours in nicotine inhaling products, allowing only “tobacco” and “unflavoured” options unless additional flavours are approved by the Minister at a later stage.

RVI has warned that such restrictions could push former smokers back towards cigarettes and encourage cross border purchasing, particularly from Northern Ireland, where flavoured products remain available.

An RVI spokesperson said: “RVI fully supports targeted measures to prevent children from accessing nicotine products.

But banning most flavoured vapes ignores the evidence that flavours play a vital role in helping adults quit smoking.

“Restricting these options risks driving ex-smokers back to cigarettes and undermining public health.”

The Bill also proposes a series of additional controls on how nicotine products are marketed and sold.

These include a ban on advertising vaping products and nicotine pouches, both online and in shops, as well as new requirements for standardised colours and the removal of imagery that could appeal to younger people.

Retailers would also be required to keep vaping products out of sight in closed containers, unless they are operating as specialist stores.

RVI said vaping remains an important smoking cessation tool, pointing to research from Healthy Ireland which found that half of all e cigarette users are former smokers.

The organisation also said that nearly 23,000 adults in Ireland quit smoking with the help of vaping products in 2024.

It also cited a 2025 Red C and Respect Vapers survey which suggested that one in three Irish vapers would return to smoking if flavoured products were no longer available.

“While we welcome the Government’s focus on protecting children, failing to align flavour regulations with Northern Ireland risks fuelling an illicit market and undermining adult smokers’ access to harm reduction tools,” the spokesperson said.

“We urge the Minister to reconsider the Bill’s flavour provisions and protect evidence based options that help adults quit smoking.”