A BAN on disposable vapes could be in place by “the end of this year” amid a “health emergency” around the products, a government minister has said. Junior Environment Minister Ossian Smyth has said he is getting permission to proceed with a law that will stop the sale of the pods, which under-18s have been banned from buying since December, entirely. The Green Party TD said: “I met [Health Minister Stephen Donnelly ] about this and my department is working with his to prepare the documents to go ahead and ban the disposable vapes.
“I expect we will be putting in our submission to the EU this summer and I will be getting permission to proceed before the end of the year.” Earlier this month Minister Donnelly had said the Government looked at banning vapes entirely “but the clinical advice is not in at the moment in terms of where it is with cigarettes”. But the Fianna Fail minister went on to accuse the tobacco industry of “coming and having another go” in downplaying the dangers of vaping, similar to campaigns that were previously run by tobacco companies.
“We have ongoing and emerging evidence of the harms that vaping causes, including damage to the lungs,” he added. Minister Smyth said there were twin concerns around the health aspect of vaping and the environmental effects of the pods being discarded. He told the Sunday Times: “I’ll be moving as fast as I can as it’s a health emergency.
“The idea that the highly addictive substance is beco.
