Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 1 March 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

General Scheme of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Neasa HouriganNeasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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I have been slightly shocked. I am not a vaper and have never looked at the websites to see cartoon characters and the likes of blueberry, strawberry and watermelon flavours. Somehow these had passed me by. The packages often look like little lollipop packages. I can absolutely see why these would be attractive to younger people.

If we accept that somehow there is a reason to have cartoon characters and strawberry watermelon flavours but also the position of some industry representatives to the effect that they do not want to sell to children despite the existence of cartoon characters and strawberry watermelon flavours, it implies there should be some kind of negotiation as to what is acceptable. When do we have the cute little vampire and when do we not? Who decides that? Consider the circumstances that arise if we accept that these marketing practices should be allowed or say that the likes of Tweety Bird should not be allowed while a vampire may be okay. Is there any example of where these kinds of decisions are being made by medical professionals or people in the public health sphere, whereby they are trying to work out whether a certain vampire product is for over-18s and another vampire product is not?