On-the-spot fine for those caught selling tobacco or vapes at events aimed at children comes into effect

An on-the-spot fine of €2,000 has been introduced for the offence of selling or causing to be sold tobacco products or nicotine-inhaling products – vapes – at events aimed at children or at events where the majority of the participants or audience are children.
In March, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, commenced multiple sections of the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023, to come into operation on Monday, September 23rd.
The measures are part of a wider plan to introduce stricter regulation of nicotine-inhaling products and eliminate the use of tobacco products, a spokeswoman for the Minister said. The events where the new fines will apply are not defined in the Act.
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The new measures also prohibit the advertising of nicotine-inhaling products around films for children, on public-service vehicles, or within 200m of a school.
The enforcement authority under the new law is the Environmental Health Service of the Health Service Executive.
Last week, the Government approved the drafting of the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill which will regulate packaging, flavours, and the retail display of vaping products and ban single-use or disposable vapes.