In an effort to tackle the growing number of young people vaping, the UK government has announced a plan to ban all disposable vapes.
While introducing the plan, which will be voted on in parliament, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pointed to research suggesting that single-use vapes, often sold in colourful packaging, have become increasingly popular among children and young people.
Following the announcement on Monday, Tanáiste Micháel Martin was asked whether a similar policy would be considered by the Irish Government.
“I would hope so. I’m very anti-vapes generally,” Mr Martin said.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has also said he supports a similar ban.
In Ireland, as of last month, it is illegal to sell vapes to people under 18 years of age. The Government has also said further legislation is planned to clamp down on flavours and marketing of vapes.
This comes as recent research shows vaping is increasing in Ireland.
The Healthy Ireland Survey 2023 said 8% of the population currently vape either daily or occasionally, up from 6% in 2022.
Vaping is most popular among young people aged 15-24 with 20% of girls and young women using vapes daily or occasionally, and 16% of boys and young men.
“We have teenagers coming to paediatric clinics presenting with anxiety.”
Paediatric Respiratory Consultant Dr Des Cox says the rise in teenage vaping is concerning and that he would like to see policy that stops young people taking up vaping.#rtept | @rtenews pic.twitter.com/tyI4TM23Ek
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) January 30, 2024
Some say a ban on disposable vapes is needed to bring teenage vaping down, while others argue a ban could bring unintended consequences, like an increase in smoking.
Paediatric Respiratory Consultant at Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin Dr Des Cox says paediatricians are very concerned about the rise in teenage vaping.
“We have children coming to paediatric clinics presenting with anxiety, presenting with poor concentration in school. I see children with increased asthma symptoms as a result of vaping,” Dr Cox said.
Speaking on Prime Time, Dr Cox said teenagers are turning to disposable vapes because they are accessible and cheap. But the fear is that vapes are not harmless.
“Teenagers using e-cigarettes is not a good idea on a number of levels. From a lung perspective, your lungs are still developing.”
“As a teenager, it’s not a good idea to expose yourself to vapes. From a brain perspective, your brain is still developing, and early exposure to nicotine has been shown to affect your cognition.”
However, Dublin-based GP Dr Garrett McGovern, who works in addiction, said the bigger issue is around youth smoking and argues vaping is preventing more young people from taking up smoking.
“There is some evidence showing that maybe vaping in young people, an uncomfortable truth as it is, may be disrupting the earlier start of smoking,” he said.
“We know the long-term effects of cigarettes only too well, and I think we’re waging the war on the wrong thing,” he added.
“I don’t think any of us disagree that cigarette smoking is a deadly habit, and that really is where the money shot is. I think we’re taking our eye off that at the moment.”
“We’re waging the war on the wrong thing.”
Dr Garrett McGovern, who works in addiction, argues vaping is preventing more young people from taking up smoking. @rtenews | #rtept pic.twitter.com/Rq2Q3bEiy3
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) January 30, 2024
Citing a recent Cochrane review, Dr McGovern said “you’re twice as likely using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking as any other method.
“Again, I keep going back to smoking. This is where it’s at. Smoking, not electronic.”
The vaping industry argues strongly that it is helping thousands of people to quit using cigarettes.
Paul Malone’s company Vapeland supplies vaping vending machines to the hospitality sector. He is also the spokesperson for the trade group Vaping Business Ireland.
He says there has been a switch from traditional tobacco and cigarettes to vapour for years.
“I think people are just seeing it as a tool, as a possible cessation tool and giving it a go,” Mr Malone says.
If the Government decides to follow the UK in banning disposable vapes, Mr Malone says it could make it more difficult for some people to stop smoking.
“Disposables are the primary entry point for ex-smokers looking to quit…they’re the most convenient in terms of usage.”
“If we were to take that away, I think it could be stopping a lot of people from potentially shifting from traditional tobacco and cigarettes,” Mr Malone added.
However, the Irish Cancer Society is strongly urging the Irish Government to follow the UK’s lead and ban disposable vapes.
CEO Averil Power, who wants to see greater restrictions on all vapes, told Prime Time “industry will use arguments around long term smokers as a defence against any action to restrict vaping.”
She says vapes are not marketed just to make them attractive to people trying to quit smoking.
“They are deliberately and cynically marketed to make them attractive to children and that is through use of cartoon packaging, flavours like bubblegum and fruit flavours that are particularly attractive to children,” Ms Power said.
Aside from the health concerns, many are worried about the environmental impact of disposable vapes.
Last November, the Institute of Public Health (IPH) responded to a public consultation on disposable vapes launched by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
The consultation proposed banning disposable vapes under the Waste Management Act to address the environmental impacts, particularly littering and leaching of toxic compounds into the environment.
Mr Malone provides recycling bins at his vending machines, but agrees more needs to be done by manufacturers.
“It’s a relatively new product, so I think we should give a bit of time for the vapour industry to see how we can develop the disposable element to fit in better with the circular economy.”
In terms of legislation, Dr Cox says measures must be introduced that don’t “affect the people who want to vape to get off cigarettes, but does help teenagers or stop teenagers taking up the product.”
Meanwhile, Dr McGovern argues for “an age restriction on vaping and appropriate fines for people who break the law that needs to be enacted.”
