Call to extend Quit Smoking services to vapers

Sinn Féin’s Stiofán Conaty has urged the Government to allocate additional resources to the HSE’s Quit Smoking Programmes, enabling local cessation services to support those seeking to quit vaping.

Speaking at the November monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, he praised the programmes for their “mighty work” in helping people kick the habit.

“We have discussed vaping and e-cigarettes here before, and I do not wish to keep revisiting the same debate. I understand that many have strong opinions on the matter, but councillors should consider that most people who vape or use tobacco-free oral pouches are doing so as a replacement for cigarettes.

Disposable vapes are indeed a problem, but refillable e-liquids and reusable vapes have helped tens of thousands of people in Ireland quit smoking, including myself,” he admitted.

“Some people are addicted to nicotine, whether in the form of cigarettes, vapes, or oral pouches. Smoking cessation services should be able to support them and provide nicotine replacements,” said Cllr Conaty, expressing disappointment at the Government’s recent budget, which heavily taxed refillable e-liquids - almost doubling the price of a standard fill - while making little progress on banning disposable vapes.

Independent Shane P. O’Reilly backed the motion, recalling his own experience quitting smoking nine years ago.

He noted that many used vapes to ease the transition but wondered if vapes might now be “worse” than cigarettes, citing reports of medical conditions such as “popcorn lung".

Fianna Fáil’s Patricia Walsh warned of a generation of young people now addicted to vaping, while Independent Brendan Fay noted the issue has been discussed at the regional Drug and Alcohol Forum.

Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady also highlighted the problem of disposable vapes, arguing that refillable options “cannot be taxed high enough” as a disincentive.