Irish government approves plans to ban disposable vapes

The Irish government has approved plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes and to tighten rules on other nicotine products. The move in the Republic of Ireland follows a ban on the sale and supply of single‑use vapes in Northern Ireland in April 2025. In Northern Ireland, anyone convicted of stocking or supplying single‑use vapes faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to £5,000.

In the Republic, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill won cabinet approval to publish the Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill 2025, which would make it illegal for retailers to sell single‑use e‑cigarettes.

What is a disposable vape?
– Single use
– Already filled and charged
– Activated by inhaling
– Battery life is short—sometimes only a day—so they are designed to be discarded
– Often small and pocketable
– No replaceable coil and cannot be recharged or refilled

The government also agreed to draft legislation to stop the sale of other nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, to anyone under 18. Advertising for these products will be banned in all retail outlets, and mixed retailers will no longer be allowed to display them openly. These measures will be folded into the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill, which will regulate the packaging, appearance, flavours and display of nicotine‑inhaling products. Officials say the framework is intended to cover future nicotine products as well as those already on the market.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says the move will help better protect young people from the harms of nicotine products.

This article was adapted from an original report published on bbc.com. All rights belong to the original publisher.