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

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 20, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following:

“Prohibition on the advertising of nicotine inhaling products

29.(1) A person shall not advertise, or cause the advertisement of, a nicotine inhaling product. (2) A person who contravenes subsection (1)commits an offence.

(3 ) In this section, “advertisement” includes, in relation to a nicotine inhaling product,every form of recommendation of the product to the public, including online.”.

The purpose of amendment No. 7, which relates to section 29, is to prohibit the advertising of nicotine-inhaling products so that nobody can advertise or cause the advertising of such products.

This relates to recommendation No. 15 of the report of this committee, which states, "The Bill should contain measures to prohibit all forms of e-cigarette advertising and promotions, including on billboards, online on all social media platforms, and influencer marketing methods." Again, this is about protecting children and doing it fully.

It is welcome that this legislation is about banning the sale to under-18s but we also know that banning cigarettes for under-18s needed a whole lot of other measures to make it effective. If anything now, the phenomenon of vaping is even more attractive to children than cigarettes - a lot more attractive. That is all the more reason any element of advertising or promotion of vaping should be banned and against the law. That view was strongly expressed by the committee at the time when we were doing the pre-legislative scrutiny. I would hope the Minister will take that on board.