E-cigarette legislation in Ireland. The good, the bad and the ugly

Smoking kills 6,000 people in Ireland every year and many thousands more suffer from smoking related illnesses that will eventually be a significant contributor to their early demise. The Department of Health has targeted 2037 as the year when Ireland will be smoking free. In order to reach that target it is imperative that no smoker who wants to quit encounters any barriers that might prevent them from doing so. With that in mind, there are an estimated 200,000 people using e-cigarettes, almost all of which are using them to quit smoking. This method of smoking cessation is fast growing and research shows e-cigarettes are at least twice as effective as traditional NRT. Despite these impressive statistics Ireland’s health service, the HSE, does not recommend vaping as a smoking cessation intervention on the basis there is not enough evidence of either effectiveness or safety.

Concern has been exclusively focused around adolescent e-cigarette use (about 4% of youths who vape do so in a daily or near daily manner). Plans are afoot by the Government to ban flavours as these are viewed as attractive to adolescents. This presentation examines the current legislation in Ireland around e-cigarette use and availability and takes a close look at the medical profession’s attitude towards vaping as a smoking cessation tool. It also highlights some of the media debates that have occurred between pro vaping and anti-vaping doctors. Dr Garrett will also present some case studies of smokers and their experiences in trying to quit and the advice they have received from various health professionals.