Vaping company with outlet in Kilkenny welcomes ban on sales of vaping products to under-18s

Hale Vaping, who operate an outlet in Kilkenny City, has welcomed the introduction of a ban on selling e-cigarettes and vaping products to anyone under 18 years of age which comes into force today (22 December 2023).

The under-18s sales ban takes effect with the recent passing of the new Public Health (tobacco and nicotine inhaling products) Act 2023.  

Commenting, Hale Director, Joe Dunne, said that the company 'will support the measures included in the recently enacted Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023 which will increase regulation around the retail sale of vaping products'. 

"In particular, we welcome the legal ban on sales of vaping products to under-18s," he said.

"At Hale Vaping we have implemented a voluntary ban on sales to under 18s in all our retail stores and online for a number of years.

"We operate a robust ‘Challenge 21’ approach where we require documentary proof of age from anyone who looks like they maybe aged 21 years or younger.

"We also operate the same approach in our online store and have rigorous age-verification software to help ensure that we do not sell to anyone under 18."

In welcoming the introduction of the new under-18s sales ban, Mr Dunne said that it is critical that these policies are now supported by rigorously enforcement by state agencies including the HSE Tobacco Control Office and Local Authority Environmental Health Offices.  

"The effectiveness of the new under-18s sales ban will ultimately come down to the determination of the authorities to enforce the law, and the scale of the penalties that are imposed on those that break the law by selling to anyone under 18," he said.

"We hope that we see this determination quickly and that the new legislation and sales ban are effective in preventing young people accessing or buying vaping products."

Mr Dunne added that vaping products had helped thousands of Irish smokers to quit or reduce their level of smoking.

"With almost 700,000 smokers in Ireland, smoking continues to be the biggest cause of ill health and premature death," he said.

"The Healthy Ireland Survey 2023 revealed that 25% of smokers that had successfully quit had used vaping, which was even more that had relied on nicotine replacement therapies at 19%.

"Vaping must continue to be available to adults to help them reduce their smoking, or ideally quit completely. However, our message is always, 'If you don’t smoke, then don’t vape'."

Under the new legislation it will be an offence to sell a nicotine inhaling product to a child.

The offence carries a penalty of a fine of up to €4,000 and / up to a six-month term of imprisonment.