Youth vaping rates have dropped by 28%, analysis shows

Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), the national trade association for vaping retailers, says this is clear evidence of the positive impact of the December 2023 ban on the sale of vaping products to under-18s, a measure RVI actively campaigned for.

Lorraine Carolan, National Spokesperson for RVI, said: “The proof is in the punch – this significant drop in young people vaping tells us that the under 18 vape sales ban, which was only introduced in December 2023, is working.”

Ms. Carolan added: “The Government’s priority in the months ahead must be ensuring full enforcement of the under-18 sales ban. To date, the HSE has failed to allocate proper resources for enforcement, with just 384 test purchase checks carried out in 2024 for both tobacco and vaping products. We would like to see the Government increase resourcing to HSE Environmental Health and really work hard to implement this relatively new regulation, before rushing forward with the proposed vaping bill which will introduce extreme bans on vaping products.

“We understand that the Government is concerned about underage access to vapes, but the proposed bill’s plans to ban flavours could discourage adult smokers from switching and risks shuttering small businesses across the country.”