Responsible Vaping Ireland calls on the Government to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of Vape Ban Bill
Government decision to bypass pre-legislative scrutiny risks devastating small businesses and driving adults back to smoking, warns Ireland’s leading trade association for vape retailers
Print30 May 2025
Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), the national trade association for vaping retailers, has called on the Minister for Health and the Oireachtas Health Committee to ensure that pre-legislative scrutiny is carried out on the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2025.
The vaping bill will remove a tool for people to reduce their tobacco usage.
The proposed ban is on flavoured vapes, the introduction of plain packaging, and a total prohibition on the in-store display and advertising of vaping products
Healthy Ireland
Data from Healthy Ireland has demonstrated the importance of vaping products as a tool to quit smoking.
In total, over 225,000 Irish adults have quit smoking with the help of vapes since 2015.
In 2023, nearly one in four Irish adults who successfully quit smoking did so with the help of vapes, meaning over 23,000 Irish adults quit smoking with the help of vapes in 2023.
A further study conducted by the European School Survey Project found that over the past 30 years, the lifetime prevalence of cigarette use has halved, from 68% to 32%, with Ireland being one of the EU countries with the greatest reductions in smoking rates.
RVI is calling on the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, to reflect on the potential consequences of the implementation of this bill, including rising smoking rates and increased tobacco usage.
It is believed such significant measures should not proceed without detailed examination by Oireachtas members and meaningful engagement with key stakeholders.
Pre-legislative scrutiny is an essential part of the legislative process, ensuring different perspectives are heard and that the best available international evidence is considered when creating new laws.
RVI believes it is critical that due process is followed in enacting such far-reaching legislation, particularly when the impact it could have on reducing smoking rates is unclear.
Lorraine Carolan, RVI spokesperson, said ahead of World No Tobacco Day: “This is an important day to reflect on the significant reduction in tobacco use in Ireland.
“But we must also acknowledge the effective tools that have helped us achieve this progress, including the accessibility of vaping products, which have supported many people in moving away from smoking.
“The Minister should today take a step back and reflect on the potential public health impacts of a widespread vape ban.
“Legislation involving changes of this scale must be evidence-based and carefully considered, not rushed through the Oireachtas without informed debate.”
“We fully support responsible regulation of the vaping industry.
“However, there must be balance.
“Evidence shows that blanket bans on vaping products often do more harm than good,” Carolan concluded.
RVI is calling on the TDs and Senators serving on the Oireachtas Health Committee to give the Bill the thorough scrutiny it requires and to consult widely with stakeholders.
Read more: Responsible Vaping Ireland warns that proposed vape ban could increase smoking rates
© 2025, ShelfLife by Ryan Brennan
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