The representative body for Ireland’s vaping sector has accused the government of penalising legitimate business while failing to do enough to tackle rogue operators flooding main streets across the country.
Responsible Vaping Ireland is warning the government that it needs to “take its head out of the sand” and rethink its approach as Ireland’s smoking rate remains stuck at 17%, far above the 5% target by 2025.
An RVI spokesperson said, “there is no common sense in making things harder for retailers who are doing everything by the book while rogue sellers are undermining both the government and the legitimate retail sector.”
“Instead of going after the businesses that break the rules, the government has made a mission of putting even more pressure on retailers at a time when the cost of running a business in Ireland is cripplingly high,” they said.
“We fully support action to stop young people from accessing vapes. In fact, it is the legitimate retailers who are doing the most to ensure younger people are not accessing these products via proper age checks. But it is time to start enforcing the rules against those who don’t. There is little point in adding more restrictions for legitimate shops if rogue sellers can simply step in and fill the gap.”
RVI said the approach also raises wider questions about Ireland’s efforts to reduce smoking.
The organisation pointed to the 17% smoking rate and the fact that more than 23,000 adults quit smoking with the help of vaping products, according to Healthy Ireland data. Research last month from the UK found that nicotine e-cigarettes were more effective at helping people quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum.
“Ireland has a very clear problem. Smoking rates remain stubbornly high, yet the Government is pursuing restrictions which risk making regulated vaping products less accessible to adults who are trying to quit,” the organisation said.
“It is time for rules that actually make sense. The priority should be keeping vapes away from young people, making sure the rules are enforced, taking illegal products off the market and making sure adults who want to quit smoking can still access the products that help them,” they said.