Responsible Vaping Ireland (RVI), the national association representing over 3,300 independent vape retailers, has warned that the new Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026 approved today risks destroying the livelihoods of retailers due to a lack of proper pre-legislative scrutiny on its broader impacts.
RVI noted that, over recent months, the Department of Health have repeatedly responded to questions and concerns about new regulations – including new vaping laws and the planned new retail licensing system – by saying that these issues were subject to previous consultation.
But now the Department is proceeding with new legislation which distinguishes between nicotine inhaling and nicotine-consumption products - and proposes different regulatory approaches to each - without any consultation, including with local Irish retailers who will be hardest hit by the new laws.
An RVI spokesperson stated:
“The Government is proposing new laws without any understanding of how these new laws will actually work and their practical implications for the market or for public health.”
“RVI is concerned that a government plan to ban flavoured vapes in new legislation could result in in more ex-smokers returning to smoking. Healthy Ireland 2025 has highlighted the worrying fact that Irish smoking rates have stopped falling and have remained stagnant since 2019. Government actions, such as banning flavoured vapes, could lead to an increase in smoking levels.”
“Banning flavours vape may also lead to a substantial retail leakage to Northern Ireland, where flavoured vapes will still be on sale. This will hit border county retailers the hardest and could also fuel a rise in illicit trade across the border.”
“These issues have not been fully considered due to the lack of any meaningful consultation or even the standard pre-legislative scrutiny on the bill approved today.”
The Healthy Ireland 2025 survey found that that 50% of all e-cigarette users are ex-smokers, highlighting vaping’s vital role in helping people quit. A further assessment of Healthy Ireland’s data shows that nearly one in four Irish adults who successfully quit smoking in 2024 did so with the help of vapes – that’s approximately 23,000 Irish adults who quit smoking with the help of vapes last year. A 2025 survey by Red C/Respect Vapers found that 1 in 3 Irish vapers would return to smoking if flavours were banned.
RVI highlighted how the latest Healthy Ireland data showed that vaping rates amongst young people in Ireland are falling at a rapid pace. The 2025 Healthy Ireland Report indicates that 18% of those aged 15 to 24 reported vaping either daily (11%) or occasionally (7%). However, an analysis of the raw data (available on the CSO website) shows that vaping by 15–19-year-olds has fallen to 16.4%, down from 18.3% in 2024 and 20.4% in 2023, a decline of roughly one fifth in just two years.
An RVI spokesperson stated: “While RVI would support sensible regulation of the naming and marketing of flavoured vapes, we are calling on the Government to protect the use of appropriate flavours to support Irish adults wishing to quit smoking.”
