Andrews calls for outright vape ban

20 years after the smoking ban was introduced, Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews is now calling for Ireland to introduce a ban on vaping.

Andrews says he has written to the Minister for Health and the Minister for the Environment about the issue.

The Fianna Fáil MEP says he welcomes the recent ban on selling vapes to minors, but the ban doesn’t go far enough. He stated that efforts to limit the use of vapes are “not working,”

“Walk down any street in cities and towns across Ireland and you quickly come across plastic vapes discarded on paths, roadsides, in parks, under trees and lamp posts, in canals and on beaches.  It also remains the case that those under 25 account for the highest usage of vapes,” he said.

“The fact that it is still perfectly legal to vape indoors in Ireland, in restaurants, bars and workplaces is totally unacceptable.  I understand that banning vapes is a radical move.  But we, in Ireland, are not afraid to take radical measures to protect future generations from the harmful impact of tobacco products.”

Andrews notes it has been 20 years since Micheál Martin introduced the smoking ban, with research finding the ban has saved 1,500 lives every single year since its introduction.

“We can lead the way on this issue too,” Andrews said.

“Disposable vapes contain lithium batteries which are highly toxic and harmful to the environment. When disposed of improperly, they leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water, posing a significant threat to our ecosystems.”

Andrews noted that most disposable vapes contain metals which can take years to decompose.

“They also contain plastic which never fully decomposes. It turns into “microplastics,” or tiny pieces of plastic, which continue to pollute the environment and pollute our food and drinking water.”

“We are yet to fully understand the harmful impact of vaping on human health but the warning signs are stark.”

He pointed to research conducted by Irish scientists that show vaping has acute affects such as poisonings, burns, asthmatic attacks and stress to the brain, heart and lungs.

“The Irish Heart Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society have flagged the potential risks, particularly regarding lung inflammation and DNA damage,” he noted.

“The time for tinkering around the edges of a ban has long since passed.  By failing to introduce an outright ban on these harmful products, we are walking younger generations into an environmental and health crisis that is entirely avoidable.”