Call for action to tackle vaping

Concerns over the health effects of vaping led to calls for tighter regulation of sales.

Councillor Carmel Brady (FG) claimed at Cavan’s Joint Policing Committee meeting that children as young as 10 can go into a shop and buy vapes and vape fluid legally.

“Some can smoke weed in them. It’s really prevalent. You can just stick them [vapes] in your pocket.”

She asked if there was “any way to police” the sale of vapes to people under a certain age.

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern said gardaí would work with business people and shops on the issue. He said one angle of attack could be to increase awareness of the health dangers posed by vaping and the potential damage they could cause.

Senator Diarmuid Wilson (FF) said the discussion mirrored one that took place recently in the Seanad.

“Minister Frank Feighan said it is a complex legal case because the science and technology keeps changing. There are some regulations but they are limited. There’s no age limit on them.

“[Vape] shops are springing up so there’s obviously money to be made.”

Sen Wilson said he was hopeful a solution could be found similar to that introduced to tackle head shops in 2010. Selling so-called “legal highs”, the businesses were targeted by the Criminal Justice Psychoactive Substances Act introduced by the Government and were effectively wiped out.