Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also extend a welcome to the President of the Parliament of Cyprus and her delegation.

I hope the effectiveness of this Bill will be reviewed in the near future, and regularly, so that we do not face another scenario where new ways are found to sell nicotine products to children. It would be useful to have regular reviews of this Bill so that, as legislators, we can keep on top of this matter and ensure situations in which children can buy products which contain nicotine is never repeated.

We must ensure the measures provided for in this Bill are effective, and any issues which need to be addressed are identified quickly and acted on. It is disheartening to see that since the progress in reducing the level of nicotine use, we now see its uptake has increased among younger cohorts. Previous use of vaping products has been cited as a factor in this. Therefore, it is incumbent on us, as legislators, to remain vigilant. A statutory review of the legislation in the near future is vital. Sinn Féin is calling for this to be included in the Bill.

I am interested to know what measures will be taken to examine the nature of these products. We are aware of instances in which the nicotine level of some of these products differs from the levels advertised on the pack. Will the Minister of State comment on why a ban on flavoured vaping products has been omitted from the Bill?

While not everyone who vapes will subsequently smoke, it would be preferable if nobody at all smoked. The flavoured aspect of vaping products is an enticement to give it a try and should be addressed. Packaging, especially brightly coloured packaging, can also be connected to this. Again, this serves to attract a person, especially a younger person, to the product. I would like to hear the Minister of State’s thoughts on this.

Finally, I want to talk about the usefulness of vaping as a way to give up smoking. While there may be some credibility to that, we must see more being done to make smoking cessation supports more available and accessible so that vaping does not become the addiction. I cannot stress this enough. Education and accessible support structures that do not involve the need to pay for a prescription or other such outlay is vital if we are to rid this country of nicotine addiction.

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