Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

This is about retail packaging of nicotine inhaling products, including vapes. The purpose of them is to allow the inhalation of varying quantities of nicotine. The whole idea is sucking in young people and getting them to a point where they will want to smoke after a certain period of vaping. It gives them a taste for nicotine and some of the buzz from it as well. I have taken this section directly from the Public Health (Tobacco) Act to provide for severe restrictions on the packaging, colouring and so on of the containers for the vapes and any packaging associated with it. It comes straight from that Act. The packaging should have a bar code so we can trace where it has come from and there are provisions about the brand name, the name of the company and all of that kind of thing.

The idea is essentially to make vapes less attractive to people. The clear messaging about the dangers of vaping need to be displayed on the packaging concerned. The clear intention of the tobacco companies, many of which own vaping companies, is to entice young people and any element of that at all should be outlawed. It would be helpful to the public health campaign to discourage young people from being attracted by vaping products and ensure that for those aged under 18 years it is a less attractive activity, as well as being outlawed by this legislation. It should also not be made an attractive thing, or more attractive to persons aged over 18 years by virtue of colours, pictures on the packaging and the general marketing of these products. I hope the Minister will consider accepting the amendment.