Louth councillor questions if new vape laws go far enough

Louth councillor, Independent representative Cllr Ciarán Fisher, has questioned if new laws in relation to vapes, due to come into force next year, go far enough, and suggests that there should be an aim to limit and discourage the prevalence of vape shops in Dundalk.

Sharing his views on the matter with the Dundalk Democrat, Cllr Fisher said that new vape laws, under the 'Nicotine Inhaling Products Bill', due early next year, are a "long overdue tightening of legislation on e-Cigarettes, better known as vapes". He explains that key elements of this incoming law include: 

• "Banning all e-liquid flavors except tobacco
• "Limiting the concentration of nicotine allowed in a cartridge and warning labels appearing on products (like cigarettes currently have) 
• "Prohibiting disposable (single-use) vapes due to environmental and youth appeal concerns
• "Restrictions on packaging, such as banning colors, imagery, or designs that make products attractive (e.g., resembling toys or sweets)
• "A full advertising ban in retail premises, including point-of-sale displays (however, dedicate specialty vape shops are exempt and can advertise products) 
• "Potential on-the-spot fines for selling to minors or other violations (Across the water, The Chartered Trading Standards Institute reported that 60% of UK shops surveyed sold vapes to minors). "

Cllr Fisher explained that, "the aims of these laws are to reduce youth access, limit environmental waste from disposable devices and bring vape retailing under tighter control. While Ireland has plenty of people who have quit smoking, there are as many - or more - who have taken up vaping. I'm surprised and disappointed an explicit aim is not: 'to stop people, and particularly young people, becoming addicted to a substance'. The issue of addiction is the most serious one in my view."

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He continued: "Banning flavors like bubblegum and cola is a wise move, acknowledging that these products were clearly aimed at children. However, we already have a fresh generation addicted to nicotine, with some potentially exposed to other substances like HHC, a synthetic cannabinoid only banned in July 2024 after hospitalizations and links to psychosis (this is basically the synthetic cannabinoid that elicited marches to close the infamous 'head shops' of the noughties).

"The black market has exploited vaping technology, offering substances like HHC or Spice in cartridges, raising concerns about escalation to more dangerous drugs. That's right, in some cases switching to a more harmful substance is as potentially as easy as changing the ink cartridge on a fountain pen used to be.   

"We are playing catch-up with this legislation, and I worry that a quiet epidemic may be unfolding. There could be a creeping societal and healthcare burden from early exposure to addiction.  

"This new law is coming from central government. But at a local level, the influx of vape shops have had a noticeable impact on our high street and streetscapes. I hope that there may be scope to limit, or create a separate type of license or planning for vape shops in Dundalk and our other urban areas. Under the new laws, these kinds of shops are the only ones who can continue to openly advertise vapes.  

"If the prevalence of these shops on our main streets is something you think is negative, it's important to reach out to councilors to let them know! With the Special Planning Committee currently looking at Town Centres, and the County Development Plan coming up later this year, there are decisions about to be made which will have a knock on effect on what our towns look like for the next seven years!  

"It's also worth noting, that Dundalk and other towns in Louth, do have a 'Shop Front Guide' for shops. And a lot of the vape shops and new premises for one reason or the other, have not always complied with this. And this also seems to be a contributing factor to complaints made about the prevalence of these stores: A matter of aesthetics rather than the product being sold, or at least that is the case in representations made to me.  

"Given the popularity of vaping, it might be unpopular to criticise their availability. They have played, and likely can continue to play a role in helping people to quit smoking. But it's important to reflect on the fact that nicotine vapes are still addictive . Would you want your child, the next generation, to have such easy access to vaping? I think the answer is already there in the fact we are banning the flavours that appeal to children.  

"When cigarettes first became popular, their side effects were unknown, or at least very disputed. By the time their link to addiction and cancers was known, it was a worldwide health issue. It's safe to say if cigarettes were invented today, they would not (or at least should not) be legal. And yet, in a roundabout way, we are doing just that.

"We have reinvented the cigarette and made it ridiculously easy to become addicted to nicotine and more, at a time the national trends were showing young people were bucking the trend – in that light we need to really think if these laws go far enough, and if we should be limiting and discouraging the prevalence of these shops in our town!"