Flavor bans, taxation and a new age limit for e-cigarettes await after the elections.
The 2020 elections in Ireland were a real thriller. Especially for vejpers and e-cigarette companies. Now, tougher laws with flavor bans and taxation await.
Several Irish parties want to introduce restrictions on e-cigarettes in the country. In addition to the current laws, which, like Sweden, are based on the EU Tobacco Directive, the two largest parties want to, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil restrict access for young people through a ban on advertising and an 18-year age limit for purchase. Republican Fianna Fáil and The Green Party want to go even further and propose restrictions on the flavoring of e-liquid. The discussions focus on candy, pastry and fruit flavors, which the parties say appeal to young people.
"It is worrying that four major political parties mention e-cigarettes in their manifestos with everything from flavor bans to taxation. They do so, without once saying on what scientific grounds they want to impose restrictions" writes the organization New Nicotine Alliance Ireland, an association working on harm reduction for smokers in Ireland.
Should encourage e-cigs
According to NNA Ireland, the parties' actions are based on emotion rather than science. NNA points to neighboring England, which has a more generous legislation on e-cigarettes. According to UK studies, smoking has declined rapidly since the authorities took a positive stance on e-cigarettes.
"Our future politicians should engage and encourage people to use these products, not discourage them" writes NNA Ireland. "They should at least talk to the users and the organizations that represent them. We can only be clear and urge vejpers in Ireland to question their politicians on this issue"
Adults like candy flavors
According to NNA Ireland, Ireland's up to 250,000 vejpers make up close to five percent of the vote in the country. The vast majority use so-called "kid-friendly" flavors such as sweets, pastries and fruits as a strategy to distance themselves from cigarettes, NNA Ireland notes. According to the organization, there are no robust studies to prove that the flavors attract youth more than they attract adult users.
"These are adult smokers who have chosen e-cigarettes to quit smoking. It is proven that flavors are very important to them. This means that a flavor ban risks attracting people back to smoking. The parties' attitude is based on ignorance of vejpning" writes NNA Ireland.
Irish elections lean towards a dead race The votes were not fully counted at the time of this article.
Read more about Vejpning and the Irish elections below:
ETHRA (European Tobacco Harm Reduction Association)
Read more at Vejpkollen:
UK goes for e-cigarettes
Taste bans lead to more smokers
Vejpning lures young people away from smoking
