Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise an issue that was in the budget yesterday. The Minister of Health has had the wonderful idea to do something about the issues we have pertaining to vaping at the moment. The Minister has stepped into the arena and has put a tax on vaping, which is really welcome. It is something we should start promoting and talking about. Vaping is probably the revenge of the tobacco industry on our society. We just need to get to grips with it. One of the statistics I came across during the week was that 13% of our 12- to 17-year-olds have vaped in the last 30 days. If that is true, it is a significant issue we need to get to grips with. The measures introduced by the Minister in the last few hours have been really positive. We now need to see them implemented because we need to start tackling vaping and talking about what needs to happen. I have come across issues caused by vaping on school buses and stuff like that, which was chaotic. The flavour issue is another problem when it comes to vaping because it is a gateway for people to get into nicotine addiction, which unfortunately leads onto smoking and, as we all know, that has a huge impact on our nation's health. The Minister's intervention is welcome. We need to see it rolled out. We need to have a real conversation about where vaping sits into the psyche of our society. It is a gateway to smoking and we all know the unfortunate implications of that.