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Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Laws to ban disposable vapes should be fast-tracked, heart charity says
Laws to ban disposable vapes should be fast-tracked in a bid to stub out the e-cigarette 'epidemic,' a heart-health charity has declared. The devices will be banned in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK from June 1, and the Irish Heart Foundation wants the rule to extend to the Republic of Ireland as well. The move comes after cabinet approved draft laws tabled by the then Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last September to ban single-use vapes after Government research concluded they are relatively cheap and disproportionately used by younger people. The call comes ahead of 'World No Tobacco Day', which will take place this Saturday, May 31. The Irish Heart Foundation said Ireland spearheaded the workplace smoking ban, which came into effect in 2004 - but that we were losing the battle against youngsters vaping. Mark Murphy, who is the charity's senior policy manager, said: 'In light of the forthcoming UK ban, Ireland needs to follow suit - and fast. 'We need an all-island ban on single-use e-cigarettes, which are detrimental to young people's health and overturning the strides Ireland has made in reducing nicotine addiction. 'However, even if we successfully introduce a ban on these vapes, we need to future-proof it to avoid loopholes which e-cigarette companies will do everything to exploit.' Mr Murphy also revealed that some of the loopholes manufacturers are using to get around new rules include creating super-sized 'Big Puff' devices which offer up to 6,000 puffs compared to the usual 600. These do not breach existing law as their tanks contain 2ml of vape liquid. The UK hopes the new rules will have positive health and environmental implications. The devices contain lithium-ion batteries, which present a fire hazard and lead to the loss of valuable metals. It is estimated a million single-use vapes are thrown away there every day. Public sentiment here also supports a crackdown - Ipsos research for the Irish Heart Foundation in 2023 showed that 64 per cent of people back the banning of disposable e-cigarettes in Ireland. Belgium and France have taken action on disposable vapes, whilst other countries have banned child-friendly flavours and introduced plain packaging. Mr Murphy added: 'It makes no sense to have a two-tier island where single-use vapes are banned in Northern Ireland but freely available in the Republic. 'Vaping can affect teenage brain development, damage blood vessels, cause high blood pressure, cause changes in heart rhythm, and have serious effects on the respiratory system. 'Worst of all, research indicates that vaping is a gateway to smoking, which is still claiming 12 lives every day in Ireland, making it our biggest cause of preventable death.' The Irish Heart Foundation is also seeking a dedicated quitline for vaping, tailored to young adults. Meanwhile, the latest Irish European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Report found that 32 per cent of respondents have tried e-cigarettes, with 16 per cent stating that they are current users. A total of 24 per cent of the 15-16 year olds surveyed reported that they have tried smoking, with 12 per cent stating that they are current smokers. Last year, a Royal College of Surgeons study found cancer and lung injuries are 'almost a certainty' in the future for long-term vape users. Flavoured vapes mimicking fruit, candy and dessert flavours are the most concerning, Professor of Chemistry at RCSI and lead author of the study Dr Dónal O'Shea said. These flavours are more dangerous and need 'urgent attention' as they contain anywhere from six to 20 different chemicals to make the commercial flavour. The study, which was conducted using artificial intelligence, found that once these chemicals were heated, very toxic compounds were detected. Fruit and candy-flavoured vapes had the most volatile carbonyls (VCs) present, which are known to pose serious health risks such as cancer and pulmonary disease. The study noted that the 'cocktail of chemicals' used in these flavours were never intended to be heated to high temperatures for inhalation. A total of 127 hazardous chemicals detected from vapes used in the study were classified as 'Acute Toxic', 153 as 'Health Hazards' and 225 as 'Irritants'. While vape manufacturers say their products are targeted at people trying to quit smoking cigarettes, Professor O'Shea says vaping causes a 'different profile of chemical hazards' compared to tobacco.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Call to fast-track legislation to ban disposable vapes as new UK laws kick in this weekend
Single-use vapes face a ban in Northern Ireland and the UK on June 1. Now the Irish Heart Foundation says there should be no delay in making the measure an all-island one. 'It makes no sense to have a two-tier island where single use vapes are banned in Northern Ireland but freely available in the Republic,' said Mark Murphy, Senior Policy Manager for the charity. The Cabinet here approved draft laws tabled by then Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in September to ban single-use vapes. It came after Government research concluded they are relatively cheap and disproportionately used by younger people. Ahead of World No Tobacco Day this Saturday, the national stroke and heart charity says that while Ireland led the world on the workplace smoking ban in 2004, we are lagging behind in the battle against youth vaping. 'In light of the forthcoming UK ban, Ireland needs to follow suit – and fast,' said Mr Murphy. 'We need an all-island ban on single-use e-cigarettes, which are detrimental to young people's health and overturning the strides Ireland has made in reducing nicotine addiction. 'However, even if we successfully introduce a ban on these vapes, we need to future-proof it to avoid loopholes which e-cigarette companies will do everything to exploit.' Among those loopholes is a move by manufacturers to create super-sized 'Big-Puff' vapes offering up to 6,000 puffs compared to the regular 600. These do not breach existing law as their tanks contain 2ml of vape liquid. As well as the health implications, legislation on disposable e-cigarettes in the UK aims to combat the huge environmental cost as they contain lithium-ion batteries, which present a fire hazard and lead to the loss of valuable metals. It is estimated a million single use vapes are thrown away there every day. Public sentiment here also supports a crackdown - Ipsos research for the Irish Heart Foundation in 2023 showed that 64pc of people back the banning of disposable e-cigarettes in Ireland. Belgium and France have taken action on disposable vapes, whilst other countries have banned child-friendly flavours and introduced plain packaging. 'Vaping can affect teenage brain development, damage blood vessels, cause high blood pressure, cause changes in heart rhythm and have serious effects on the respiratory system,' said Mr Murphy. 'Worst of all, research indicates that vaping is a gateway to smoking, which is still claiming 12 lives every day in Ireland, making it our biggest cause of preventable death.' The Irish Heart Foundation is also seeking a dedicated quitline for vaping, tailored to young adults. Meanwhile, the latest Irish European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) Report found that 32pc of respondents have tried e-cigarettes, with 16pc stating that they are current users. A total of 24pc of the 15-16 year olds surveyed reported that they have tried smoking with 12% stating that they are current smokers.
