Mark Murphy: Yes. The Irish public wants a tobacco endgame<\/p>\n
The UK made history at the end of April when it passed the Tobacco and Vapes Act. This landmark piece of legislation has global health implications and consequences across the island of Ireland. <\/p>\n
Firstly, the Act prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1st, 2009. As this age group gets older, they can never legally be sold tobacco. So over decades, a smoke-free generation becomes a smoke-free society.<\/p>\n
The Act is not a prohibition on smoking, nor does it restrict the choice of people who currently smoke. Rather it diminishes the ability of the tobacco industry to recruit and addict new customers. <\/p>\n
Secondly, the Act strengthens the regulation of vapes<\/a> and other nicotine products, especially where products are cynically designed and marketed to target children. Crucially for Ireland, it will apply to all four regions of the UK, meaning children and future generations in Northern Ireland will be better protected from tobacco and nicotine harm than those in the Republic. Is that acceptable? <\/p>\n As the only European Union country to share a land border with the UK and one with deep ties going back generations, it is time for Ireland, I believe, to follow suit. <\/p>\n Banning the sale of tobacco products to children born after a certain year would be utterly transformative for Irish society and our healthcare system. It is often forgotten that 4,500 people die every year from tobacco. Every week in Ireland<\/a>, smoking kills nearly 100 people and causes 1,000 hospital admissions due to preventable heart disease<\/a>, stroke<\/a>, lung disease and cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sadly, despite the State being a traditional leader in tobacco control, 17 per cent of the Irish population still smoke. That\u2019s more than 800,000 people. More alarmingly is that 12 per cent of Irish teenagers smoke, according to 2024 research by the TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland for the Department of Health<\/a>, while the reduction in smoking has stalled since 2019.<\/p>\n Not only does smoking destroy lives, families and childhoods, and take loved ones from us early, it places a colossal burden on our healthcare system. And despite this human tragedy on an unimaginable scale, there is a fatalism that it will always be like this, and that smoking will always be a virus on our society. <\/p>\n It does not have to be that way. The UK has set the benchmark, and it is vital that Ireland follows. <\/p>\n Fortunately, the Irish public are overwhelmingly in favour of a tobacco endgame<\/a>. A 2022 Health Service Executive<\/a> poll shows 83 per cent of the public support a complete phase out of tobacco product sales, while a 2023 Irish Heart Foundation<\/a> Ipsos\/B&A poll shows 76 per cent support children born after a specified date never being able to buy cigarettes legally.<\/p>\n On vaping, Ireland is already moving in the right direction. Two Bills are progressing through the Oireachtas<\/a> that will ban disposable vapes and bring in stronger regulations on e-cigarettes, including the complete ban on all e-cigarette flavours bar tobacco and unflavoured, which is to be hugely welcomed. <\/p>\n For too long, vapes have been designed to appeal to children with their bright, colourful packaging and their enticing fruity flavours. These Bills will put an end to that to protect youth health.<\/p>\n